James Bulger's mum against releasing Venables' new identity

  • Published
Media caption,

James Bulger’s mother Denise Fergus says she does not want Venables' new identity released

The mother of murdered James Bulger does not want the new identity of one of his killers to be released because she does not want "blood on my hands".

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both 10, killed the two-year-old after snatching him in Bootle in 1993.

The pair have been living anonymously with new identities since being released from life sentences.

James's father and uncle are challenging Venables' anonymity as he has been convicted of two more crimes.

Image source, PA
Image caption,

James Bulger was two when he was snatched and killed in 1993

The new legal challenge, brought by Ralph and Jimmy Bulger at a hearing at London's High Court on Tuesday, relates to an order originally granted in 2001.

Ms Fergus, who is not part of the case, said she does not support her ex-husband's legal battle.

"I don't want anyone else to die the way James died...", fearing it could mean "people will be looking out for [Venables and Thompson]".

Image source, Merseyside Police
Image caption,

Jon Venables was 10 when he and Robert Thompson killed James Bulger

Ms Fergus told the BBC: "Eight years in a young offenders [institution] is no sentence at all. Especially when it concerned them two, they got the best of everything.

"They had better lives, in my opinion, when they killed James. They got everything they asked for: bedrooms, they could choose the bedding, the curtains, the carpets, they probably never had that at home.

"But to this day, I've always said, I don't want them dead, because I don't want blood on my hands. I don't agree with killing someone.

"All I've ever wanted was justice for James and getting that justice would be them two going from young offenders to a proper prison and spend proper time in there."

Image source, PA
Image caption,

Ralph Bulger, the father of James, is challenging the order protecting Jon Venables' anonymity

Solicitor-advocate Robin Makin, representing James's father and uncle, said the original injunction was granted on the basis that Venables was rehabilitated and would not reoffend.

But he was jailed after admitting possessing child abuse images for a second time in February.

He was sentenced to two years in prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to downloading and distributing indecent images.

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