The older boys — Jon Venables and Robert Thompson — seem like they could be the brothers of the toddler, James Bulger, as some bystanders thought in the mall that day. But they weren’t. Instead, they were the toddler’s abductors and, soon, his killers. Margate woman jailed for 'cruel' James Bulger tweets". BBC News. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016 . Retrieved 14 July 2016. Thirty years on, it is difficult to find anyone satisfied with the judicial and political response to the killing. Fergus, 55, believes Venables should never be let out of prison. “Thirty years does seem like yesterday, the wounds don’t ever heal when you have buried a child, but they certainly can never do so when one of the murderers responsible persists in reoffending and then continues to bid for freedom,” she wrote in new chapters of her memoir, I Let Him Go, published to mark the 30th anniversary.

If the panel believes he poses little risk, he could in theory be released within days – although the justice secretary, Alex Chalk, has the power to ask for the decision to be reviewed and would probably exercise this right. Johnston, Philip (3 March 2010). "Bulger killers: identifying them was a mistake". Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014 . Retrieved 8 November 2014.

Timeline

She wrote: “I can’t help but let my mind wander to what might have been. Would James be married with children? Would he have had boys or girls? What would he do for a living? In August2009, Australia's Seven Network used real footage of James Bulger's abduction to promote its crime drama City Homicide. The use of the footage was criticised by Bulger's mother, and Seven apologised. [143] Bulger’s parents, Denise Fergus and Ralph Bulger, have consistently argued for Venables to spend the rest of his life in prison. With little to go on, Bulger’s parents were suspects initially. But when the police eventually saw the CCTV footage from the shopping mall, they could not believe their eyes. Despite the fuzzy footage, it was two small boys that could be seen leading James Bulger (identified from the description of his clothing provided by his mother) to the exit. Police start to notice a pattern in Thompson’s chatter. Whenever he starts talking about James, his anxiety causes his legs to shuffle. By lunchtime on Friday 19 February, Thompson admits they had taken James to the railway line. During the investigation, there’s an eerie moment when Thompson imitates a wailing James asking for his mother. The investigating officers find it unnerving.

Popular disgust only intensified when witnesses and the media noted Thompson’s cold, seemingly remorseless behavior at trial (compared with Venables’ hysterical outbursts). Thus it was widely assumed that Thompson was the instigator — even though psychiatrists and authorities have never been able to reach a conclusion on the boys’ motives. a b Scott, Shirley (29 August 2009). "Death of James Bulger: Pt 6, The Trial". truTV.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008 . Retrieved 29 August 2009.Bulger's mother says Venables 'should be identified' ". BBC News. 6 March 2010. Archived from the origi Bulger’s murder remains one of the most harrowing, and far-reaching, crimes of the past century in Britain and evokes strong public emotion 30 years on.

Tony Blair, then Shadow Home Secretary, gave a speech in Wellingborough during which he said: "We hear of crimes so horrific they provoke anger and disbelief in equal proportions ... These are the ugly manifestations of a society that is becoming unworthy of that name." [9] Prime Minister John Major said that "society needs to condemn a little more, and understand a little less." [9] The trial judge Mr Justice Morland stated that exposure to violent videos might have encouraged the actions of Thompson and Venables; this was disputed by David Maclean, the Minister of State at the Home Office at the time, who said that police had found no evidence linking the case with " video nasties". [51]BWP Media via Getty Images Ten-year-old Robert Thompson, one James Bulger’s killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. She was concerned, but another woman standing nearby said she’d heard James laughing moments ago and so both assumed nothing was wrong. Later that night, one of the women saw the news that Bulger was missing. She phoned the police and expressed regret for not doing something. a b Foster, Jonathan (10 November 1993). "James Bulger suffered multiple fractures: Pathologist reveals two-year-old had 42 injuries including fractured skull". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010 . Retrieved 11 March 2010. Franklin, Katie (14 March 2008). "James Bulger memorial appeal launched". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008 . Retrieved 13 April 2008. The storyline was to feature Loretta Jones and her friend Chrissy, who had been given new identities before arriving in the village, after being convicted of murdering a child at the age of 12. [145] Scholarly reference [ edit ]

Venables, now 41, has been in prison since 2017 after being convicted for a second time of possessing child abuse images.Jon Venables: Woman who posted picture said to show killer avoids jail". BBC News. 24 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020 . Retrieved 19 February 2020. On 24August, co-hosts on Seven's breakfast show Sunrise salaciously asked whether the killers were now living in Australia, in an apparent tie-in with that week's episode of City Homicide. They answered the specious question the next day by relaying the Australian government's denial that the killers had been settled in the country. [144] Soap opera storyline [ edit ]