But no one did anything. A move abroad would cost, of course, but the thinking is it would be cheaper in the long run.. Following his eight-year sentence for the horrific crime, Robert Thompson was freed and given a new identity. Rape survivor slams Gabby Petito Utah cop over handling of her case, 'Dark details' about boyfriend of US swim champ who mysteriously died, Disturbing red flags of Lindsay Clancy's psychosis before she 'killed 3 kids', Mysterious powder swamps US skies as residents report dust-covered cars, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jon Venables was ten years old when he was arrested for the torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger, Chilling CCTV shows the moment James was led away from his parents, Venables was jailed for two years in 2010 after he admitted downloading and distributing indecent images of children, James Bulger killer Jon Venables charged over indecent images of children. Hes gonna be all right, Denise, I said. "The reality is that the case for varying the injunction has simply not been made.". Robert is now openly gay and is in a long-term relationship. Not only had both boys been truant that day, but Venables had also been seen with blue paint on his jacket (the same color that had been used to blind Bulger during his torture). "I have had urges, inquisitive. With little to go on, Bulgers parents were suspects initially. James Bulger Story. The child killer was released from a young offenders institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. The images included category A photos, the most serious type, and he also admitted having a paedophile manual. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . In 2013, the parole approved his release from prison. While the abduction of James Bulger was caught on camera, police had few leads for potential suspects. Though Thompson was believed to have been the leader of the James Bulger murder plot, he has never reoffended since hes been released. Malcolm Croft/PA Images/Getty ImagesJames Bulgers parents, pictured one day before their child was found dead. After luring the toddler away from a shopping center in Bootle, Merseyside, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables kidnapped, tormented, and murdered him in 1993. When officers arrived at his flat, Venables was attempting to remove or destroy the hard drive of his computer with a knife and tin opener. By all accounts, Venables and Thompson showed no violent or aberrant behavior in prison but instead served their time for the James Bulger murder quietly and without incident. Official figures showed that Venables' attempt to keep his identity secret cost taxpayers more than 65,000. ONE of James Bulger's killers says he has had a better life as a result of murdering the toddler. ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. At the mall, James Bulger killers wandered from shop to shop, stealing anything they could get their hands on, then tossing their stolen booty down escalators just for the fun of it. This time, he also had a pedophile manual.This is my own fault,he allegedly told police. James Bulger was not the first child that the pair tried to abduct. But on that fateful day, the two boys would take their crimes to a horrific new level by kidnapping and killing a child. In one of the most chilling photos in recent times, Venables was captured holding the 2-year-old James Bulger as Robert walked ahead of the pair. Not only did they find blue paint on Venables jacket, but they also found blood on Thompsons shoes. It is believed Thompson remains in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. In addition, they thought that the kidnappers mightve been 13 or 14 years old, which threw them off track. In 2006, reports claimed Thompson was in a stable gay relationship at age 23 and had settled well into his local community in the North West. The computer was taken away and 57 indecent images of children over a 12-month period were found. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. Everything we know, Mr. Justice Edis sentenced Venables to 40 months in prison, saying, Shed objected to Ralphs petition, saying, Who are Miles Pfeffers parents? They were a match made in hell. This is one of the saddest and most devastating stories I have ever heard. On March 4, 2019, it was announced Thompson's accomplice Jon Venables is to keep his anonymity after a judge ruled it would protect him from "serious violence". On November 24, 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were found guilty of the abduction and murder of James Bulger, making them the youngest convicted killers in modern British history. But it was ultimately an anonymous phone call to the police that implicated Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as the James Bulger killers. Ever since James was murdered so horrifically, the courts have bent over backwards to look after both Venables and Thompson. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. Venables took him by the hand. But they werent. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, pictured after their arrest for the murder of James Bulger. The older boys then meandered around Liverpool past shops, buildings, and parking lots. He added: "As Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss held, (Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. He was arrested yet again in 2017 for the same crime. Dr. The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables).". At first glance, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables seemed like two ordinary 10-year-olds. Some witnesses later remembered seeing Bulger laughing while others remembered seeing him resisting and even screaming for his mother. Venables' new identity has been changed twice after he told friends he was a convicted murderer. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. With some evidence in hand and the knowledge that the James Bulger killers were likely two children, the police checked nearby schools absentee lists for the day of the disappearance. Gone outside with the boy, she said. Venables and Thompson then called for Bulger to come. Footage of the boy's two abductors was released to the public by police. The police then visited both childrens homes and discovered blood on Thompsons shoes and blue paint on Venables jacket. The panel listed as risk factors those influencers that made it more likely that Mr. Venables would reoffend in the future,the report read. A freak of nature. That blow alone caused 10 skull fractures. In October 2020, a parole report stated that Venables was attracted to sexual violence and recommended that he remain in prison. But once a child turns 18, their name can be reported. AT just ten years old, Jon Venables callously abducted and murdered James Bulger, 2, in 1993 in a case that sent shockwaves through the UK and the rest of the world. The Parole Board refused to recommend Venables for release for at least another two years, according to The Sun newspaper. In their bid to have Venable's identity disclosed, lawyers for Ralph and Jimmy Bulger argued certain details about the killer and his life are "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. Sentencing him to 40 months jail in 2018, Mr Justice Edis said: The children depicted were often very young and vulnerable, there is discernible pain and distress suffered.. The killer was 10-years-old when he and Robert Thompson murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, which is the focus of tonight's new Channel 5 documentary Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger. He is a dangerous, predatory child abuser and killer, and I am terrified he will harm another child like my James,Ralph said. First, of course, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson had to snatch Bulger away from his mother in the midst of a busy shopping mall. He said: "I don't know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard". RM2D3M2P8 - The grave of murdered toddler James Bulger in Kirkdale cemetery, Liverpool, June 22, 2001. Apparently satisfied with their explanation, the woman simply told the two boys to take the toddler down to the nearby Walton Lane Police Station. One of the investigators who talked to Thompson described him as street smart and clever.I dont know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard,the investigator said on Channel 5sLost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger. Venables and Thompson were then sentenced to serve at Her Majestys pleasure, as is standard protocol for juvenile offenders convicted of murder or manslaughter. The 36-year-old has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old. The same path would not apply to his partner in crime, however. What about his mum, will you tell her Im sorry?. As for Venables, he has been thrown in prison again on multiple occasions, most notably for possession of child pornography and a pedophile manual, which described how to abuse young girls in sickening detail. By 4:15 PM, however, there was no sign of James Bulger and he was reported missing to the local police station. The toddlers heartbreaking final words were: I want my mum.. Jon Venables pictured using a mobile phone, a questionable activity given his inability to maintain anonymity. Most recently, Venables was denied parole in September 2020. Updated: 20:25, 29 Sep 2021 ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. But most did nothing and those that stopped and questioned the James Bulger killers soon enough let them go on their way to ultimately murder the toddler. The boys hesitated, perhaps reconsidering what they were about to do, and did briefly turn away from the embankment. Dr. Ian Cumming, a psychiatrist, talked toIndependentabout the difficulties people with fake identities face when building relationships: So much about peoples interactions with others is built on trust, and if what youre doing and who you are is not really correct than thats quite a strain on the individual. Addressing a potential future release, the report described how his chances of reoffending were he to be released from jail could be cut by certain "protective factors". He was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to tell which injury represented the fatal blow. They were a match made in hell. Police were focused on other children who already had violent records, and they remained convinced that the two boys from the fuzzy CCTV footage looked 13 or 14, not 10. Though they were unsuccessful, Thompson and Venables didnt give up. Venables and Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside before brutally torturing and murdering the tot and left his body by a railway line. While there, he reportedly told his fellow inmates that he was a car thief. But the President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the bid, saying it was in place to protect Venables from being "put to death". When Bulgers father, Ralph, saw that it was just two boys with whom his son had left the mall, he was relieved: I looked at Denise and smiled with relief. James Bulger killers Jon Venables (holding the boys hand) and Robert Thompson (walking directly in front of the boy) abduct their victim just before killing him, as captured by a surveillance camera. Email us attips@the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368 . 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. Many of these witnesses later admitted that Bulger looked distressed. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables).". This caused various children to be identified as potential killers, with some parents even reporting their own kids. For other inquiries, Contact Us. A source said: Hes been relocated all over the country a large number of times costing a fortune. Venables was caged once again in 2010 after being found with a hoard of horrifying child abuse images on his laptop. Malcolm Croft PA Images/PA Images via Getty ImagesThe parents of James Bulger, Denise and Ralph, at a police press conference in Liverpool the day after their son disappeared. Many of them would later express regret for not doing anything. A woman passing by noticed Bulger but did nothing. He was sent back to prison with a new identity as hed divulged who he was to staff and inmates. I believe the only way to prevent him from killing another baby like James is to keep him locked up for life, Ralph Bulger said in response to the parole boards decision. The murder of two-year-old James Bulger shocked Britain. The killer walked free in June 2001 with unprecedented lifelong anonymity after a parole board ruled he was no longer a threat to public safety. But the report made clear the parole board was "not satisfied" Venables was "suitable" for release from prison. And if they hadnt been caught I fear they would have struck again. Nine months later, the trial began. She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. But sometimes the unthinkable happens - children kill. What befell James Bulger? To those who arent familiar, the scene looks harmless enough: Two boys leading a toddler, one holding his hand as they make their way through a normal shopping mall in Bootle, England. The child killer was released from a. Robert hasn't reoffended. Some even saw the older boys punch and kick the two-year-old. But Denise Fergus, James's mum, does not support the proceedings and said her son's killer should keep his anonymity to avoid vigilante justice. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables The public was already outraged as the police were still not able to catch the killers. By the time Bulger was dead, he had sustained 42 brutal injuries in total. The report stated: "Mr Venables was engaging positively in intensive interventions and these were likely to continue for several months, requiring a period of consolidation on completion.". Venables was released in 2001 and soon found himself running afoul of the law. In October last year, a parole report warned that Venables has an "attraction to sexual violence" and "thinks about sex a lot". Robert Thompson (on the left) and Jon Venables (both born in August, 1982, ) are two felons, known in British history as the youngest convicted criminals at . Venables has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls" as well as over 1,000 vile child abuse images. Ralph expressed concern that Jon would reoffend if released from prison with a new identity. Since being freed, Venables alone is thought to have cost the public around 5million. 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