Australian Story - Season 1 Episode 14

Caroline Jones introduces Australian Story's first half hour special. Thirteen years ago a South Brisbane boarding house was destroyed in a blaze. It's a day Wendy Webster can never forget – her mother was one of the two killed in the fire. The day is also etched forever in the mind of Kevin Doherty. He lit the fire deliberately and for profit. Neither of their lives would ever be the same. Wendy spent years in desperation unable to accept what had happened. She found work and relationships impossible to manage. It wasn't until 6 years later, when someone was charged with the crime, that Wendy realised her mother had been the victim of murder. Kevin had spent the intervening 6 years expecting to be caught at any moment and doing battle with guilt and alcohol. His arrest came as a relief to him; he needed to be punished. Wendy felt that she could not go on with her life until some of her questions had been answered and only Kevin could do this for her. "I knew I had to see him, to know what he looked like". She contacted the prison and spoke with Gerald Palk who was with the Catholic prison ministry and later became a project officer with the restorative justice program; a program of mediation between victim and offender. After much consideration by the prison authorities, it was decided to allow Wendy and Kevin to meet. Wendy describes that first meeting: As I got up to him, I looked into his eyes for about 4 seconds and I saw this look of sheer terror .. a look I never want to see ever again, and I got my hands and held onto him and looked into his eyes and said – "It's okay, it's okay" and he broke down and cried and said – "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry". The story of this amazing relationship and the freedom that forgiveness brings to both Wendy and Kevin is the subject of this most unusual Australian Story.