Now Denise has said her new attitude is about “looking forward” and now wants to help others who have suffered traumatic grief.

Booth, Jenny (3 March 2010). "James Bulger mother: Killer Jon Venables is 'where he belongs' ". The Times. London, UK: News Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010 . Retrieved 6 March 2010. a b c Taylor, Anna-Louise (21 April 2011). "How should young killers be treated?". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Would society, politicians and the judiciary respond differently if a similar crime happened today? “I think that we would have a different view about the long-term implications for those two young men and how to stop them getting themselves into a situation later in life where they would be once again involved in the criminal justice system.”Schmidt, William E. (24 February 1993). "Liverpool Tries to Reconcile Murder and a Boy Next Door". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Nevertheless, additional passersby could still see the partially-covered forehead injury, and one person even saw a tear on Bulger’s cheek. But no one did anything. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Smith, David James (3 April 2011). "The Secret Life of a Killer" (PDF). The Sunday Times Magazine: 22–34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2013. The introduction of victim impact statements in court is largely due to the efforts of Denise and her lawyer. a b Mikkelson, Barbara (21 July 2001). "Murder of Jamie Bulger". Snopes.com . Retrieved 26 May 2022.

That same afternoon, James Bulger, from Kirkby, went with his mother, Denise, to the New Strand Shopping Centre. Whilst inside the A.R. Tym's butcher's shop on the lower floor of the centre at around 15:40, Denise, who had let go of her son's hand to pay for her shopping, realised that her son was missing. [4] [12] Thompson and Venables had approached James Bulger, took him by the hand, and led him out of the shopping centre. [13] [14] The moment was caught on CCTV at 15:42. [15] [16] Thompson and Venables were charged on 20 February 1993 with abduction and murder. They were found guilty on 24 November, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history. They were sentenced to indefinite detention at Her Majesty's pleasure, and remained in custody until a Parole Board decision in June 2001 recommended their release on a lifelong licence at age 18. [5] Venables was sent to prison in 2010 for breaching the terms of his licence, was released on parole again in 2013, and in November 2017 was again sent to prison for possessing child sexual abuse images on his computer. 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] Coslett, Paul (25 November 1993). "Lessons of an avoidable tragedy". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Outrage at call for Bulger killers' release". BBC. 28 October 1999. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.The knowledge that those two have been out there somewhere has tainted everything and has had a profound effect on me being a mother and now, as a grandmother, I have to behave differently from the rest because I am forever different.” The police are entering new territory with this investigation as no-one has ever interviewed child murder suspects before. To ensure their testimonies will stand up in court, it’s important that the two boys understand the implications of telling lies and telling the truth and know the differences between right and wrong. Asking specific questions to prove these facts, they both pass. So the questioning commences. Morrison, Blake (11 April 2009). "Let the circus begin". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 . Retrieved 1 February 2015.

Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, said she was angry that the parole board did not tell her that Venables had been returned to prison, and called for his anonymity to be removed if he was charged with a crime. [105] A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that there was a worldwide injunction against publication of either killer's location or new identity. [106] Venables's return to prison revived a false claim that a man from Fleetwood, Lancashire, was Venables. While the claim was reported and dismissed in September 2005, [107] it reappeared in March2010 when it was circulated widely via SMS messages and Facebook. [108] Chief Inspector Tracie O'Gara of Lancashire Constabulary stated: "An individual who was targeted four-and-a-half years ago was not Jon Venables, and now he has left the area." [109] [110] Throughout her ordeal Denise has never felt listened to. Never asked her opinion, she says, or given a voice. In 2010 the critical theorist Terry Eagleton introduced his book On Evil with the story of Bulger's murder. [146] 2019 Oscars controversy [ edit ]

Bulger killers' trial ruled unfair". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010 . Retrieved 15 April 2023.

It is a slippery slope I try very hard not to go down because it is a road to nowhere, but a new life does make you reflect on everything.” On 31January 2019, a man and a woman pleaded guilty to eight contempt of court offences at the High Court after they admitted to posting photos on social media that they claimed identified Venables; Both received suspended prison sentences. [89] In March2019, actress Tina Malone was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence for posting Venables's identity on Facebook. [90] 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.Thompson and Venables took Bulger to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, around 1⁄ 4 mile (400 metres) from the New Strand Shopping Centre, where they dropped him on his head, and he suffered injuries to his face. The boys joked about pushing Bulger into the canal. [9] [17] An eyewitness said that when he saw Bulger at the canal, the boy was "crying his eyes out". [18] The boys went on a 2 + 1⁄ 2-mile (4-kilometre) walk across Liverpool; they were seen by around 38 people, but most bystanders did nothing to intervene. [18] [19] Two people challenged Thompson and Venables, but they either claimed that Bulger was their brother, or that he was lost, and that they were taking him to a police station. [20] At one point, the boys took Bulger into a pet shop, from which they were ejected. [21]