Thompson and Venables were charged on 20 February 1993 with abduction and murder. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' Venables was held at the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside, which was not revealed until after he had been released. The order, and its enforcement, is therefore intended to protect not only Venables and Thompson, but also those members of the public who have been incorrectly identified as being one of the two men. (modern). [34] The attempted abduction charge related to an incident at the New Strand Shopping Centre earlier on 12 February 1993, the day of Bulger's death. April 13, 2023. [83] In March 2012, a 26-year-old man from Chorley, Lancashire, was arrested after allegedly setting up a Facebook group with the title "What happened to Jamie Bulger was f**king hilarious." [9][68][69] In 2001, Blunkett stated: "The injunction was granted because there was a real and strong possibility that their lives would be at risk if their identities became known. Brain damage was extensive and included a haemorrhage. Three months later, police cautioned him for possessing cocaine, and a requirement was added to his licence ordering him to address his alcohol and drug problems, the court was told. The bullying and violence continued after his father left, with the brothers turning on themselves. so they were put in a lower year. Popularly known as the murder of James Bulger on 12 February 1993 in England of Unknown. In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. 2023 BBC. How ', Kids Who Kill: Evil Up Close provides an all-encompassing view of these tragic stories, examined step-by-step with the testimonies from those closest to the. And Ann Thompson turning to alcohol. Harry Fletcher, the assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said that only 24-hour surveillance would have stopped Venables. After the trial, Mr Justice Morland laid the moral responsibility squarely with the parents. The level of brutality involved in the sadistic killing was far beyond what anyone might imagine two primary school children to be capable of. News stories reported the demeanour of the defendants. Thompson and Venables moved away from Liverpool after their sons' convictions eight years ago. I have lost my son as well. This is often given as a driver for serial killers from extremely abusive and chaotic backgrounds. The judge revealed that Venables had been living in Cheshire at the time of the offences, and that the case was dealt with by Cheshire police and Cheshire probation service. To understand their brutal actions, some have claimed that one of the sequels of Childs Play 1991s Childs Play 3 inspired their behaviour. A Merseyside detective said, "We went through something like 200 titles rented by the Venables family. When the officer arrived at his flat, Venables was attempting to remove or destroy the hard drive of his computer with a knife and a tin opener. In 2005, when Venables was 23, his probation officer met another girlfriend of his, who was aged 17. he lived a very terrible childhood. They were tried as adults and made to stand in the dock away from their parents, while the judges and barristers wore full gowns and wigs. calling for a public debate about "the home Once again, her absent husband was curiously left alone by the press. Jon had a reputation for violence at school, often against younger children. Two days later, after a huge police search, James's battered body was found on a railway line more than two miles away. On 27 June 2011, the parole board decided that he would remain in custody, and that his parole would not be considered again for at least another year. All rights reserved. The report is full of violent instances, with details of such incidents as Ann taking her third son Philip to the police station after he had threatened his older brother Ian with a knife. Does brain chemistry have a role to play, as well as contributions from various environmental factors? Some of the images involved children as young as two years old and some showed the rape of young girls. It is just heartbreaking.". [13][14] The moment was caught on CCTV at 15:42. Was John Wayne Gacy assisted by accomplices? 'Robbed of justice': The murder of Lucie Blackman, far beyond what anyone might imagine two primary school children to be capable of. He has had security with loving parents and a loving brother and sister.". [128] On 7 February, Venables pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children for a second time. She contacted the police, and the boys were arrested. The Ministry of Justice refused to reveal any details, but the then Justice Secretary Jack Straw did say the recall was prompted by "extremely serious allegations". A pattern of bruising on Bulger's right cheek matched the features of the upper part of a shoe worn by Thompson; a paint mark in the toecap of one of Venables's shoes indicated he must have used "some force" when he kicked Bulger. He commented that the work "is emphatically not a comedy" but instead "intended as a serious moral examination of what contemporary society is doing to children". He is not a little urchin boy. Could the pair of them have sought out a younger boy in order to gain dominion over him? The evidence is even less clear. But he also laid blame with their parents, calling for a public debate about "the home background, upbringing, family circumstances, parental behaviour and relationships" of children who commit "grave crimes". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Jon Venables was just 10 years old when he and friend Robert Thompson murdered toddler James Bulger. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security and give him an "ordinary" life. He said that on the day James was killed, when he went to the school in the afternoon to collect Jon he was told his son was missing. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. More horrific still was the revelation that his killers were only children themselves, 10 year olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Jon Venables was just 10 years old when he and friend Robert Thompson murdered toddler James Bulger. Sign up to our newsletter to receive email updates on new series, features, and more from your favourite Crime+Investigation shows: . [106] 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. Some seven years later, the Court of Human Rights would rule that they should never have been tried in an adult court. [11], That same afternoon, James Bulger, from Kirkby, went with his mother, Denise, to the New Strand Shopping Centre. . On 12th February 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was brutally murdered by two eleven-year-old boys. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. [97] On 7 March, media reports said that he had been accused of child pornography offences. Write A Comment But he also laid blame with their parents, calling for a public debate about "the home background, upbringing, family circumstances, parental behaviour and relationships" of children who commit "grave crimes". The moment was caught on CCTV and became the defining image of a horrific case. On 12th February 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables kidnapped, tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool. It was arguably the most shocking crime in modern British history; the toddlers murderers were both just ten years old at the time. A video still of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the 'New Strand' shopping centre, Protesters wait for the arrival of King Charles III and the Queen Consort for their visit to Liverpool Central Library, Wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph in central London, in commemoration for Anzac Day, Waves crash over Tynemouth pier on the North East coast of England, People cross the finish line at the 2023 London Marathon, A Wrexham fan in a Deadpool costume ahead of the Vanarama National League match at The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, A demonstrator wears a costume as people protest during the Extinction Rebellion's 'The Big One' event, in London, Britain, The funeral cortege of Paul OGrady travels through the village of Aldington, Kent ahead of his funeral at St Rumwolds Church, Georgia Harrison, who was a victim of revenge porn, at a demonstration organised by Refuge outside the Houses of Parliament, calling for a violence against women and girls code of practice to be added to the Online safety bill, People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Tree Orchard at Alnwick Gardens in Alnwick, Northumberland, A pelican sits in St Jamess Park, London, People take part in the Nagar Kirtan procession through the city centre in Southampton, during Vaisakhi celebrations to mark the birth of the Khalsa and to celebrate the spring harvest and the solar new year, Former Chelsea players and fans show the Samaritans' 24-hour helpline number 116 123 on the back of their shirts during the launch of the TalkMoreThanFootball campaign from Three, during halftime of Chelsea v Brighton at Stamford Bridge, London, Protesters outside York Magistrates Court, where Patrick Thelwell is charged with threatening behaviour after eggs were thrown at King Charles III during his visit to York in November, British milliner Justin Smith, from J. Smith Esquire, with a crown he has created using 319 Scrabble tiles to mark Scrabble's 75th anniversary and King Charles III's coronation, US President Joe Biden delivers a speech on business development at Ulster University in Belfast, People take part in a rally in Trafalgar Square in London, in support of striking NHS junior doctors, as the British Medical Association holds a 96-hour walkout in a dispute over pay, Masked people attack a police vehicle with petrol bombs in Derrys Creggan area on on 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement, People taking part in the annual procession in Glasgow as part of the Sikh Vaisakhi celebration to celebrate the Birth of the Sikh Nation, Visitors dressed in costumes during the Star Wars Celebration at the ExCel London in east London, Lorries queue to enter the Port of Dover in Dover, Britain. It is as if she thinks of herself walking around with a sign above her head: Mother of Bulger Murderer. After the murder, people wanted answers to the question were looking at here. Jon Venables was just 10 years old when he and friend Robert Thompson murdered toddler James Bulger. [CDATA[// >