John Venables

[Bronson]

What's everyone's opinion of the recent situation regarding the above. I think we should be told his new identity and what he's done. I always fear that these people with new identitys will end up somewhere like the highlands.

I hope he gets everything he deserves.

[dan_ict]

we should be told his identity. the guy is a cold blooded killer and has to face up to his actions

[PullMyFinger]

He was 10 years old, difficult to call this one. You says he a cold blooded killer, it could be argued he was a product of his environment. ;)

[Scotty]

At the very least I would say the parents of James Bulger should be told the circumstances of his re-arrest even if they have to sign some sort of non-disclosure agreement or the official secrets act or something like that. It doesnt matter what this guy does, anytime he hits the headlines it will be like another jab in the heart for them and it is the least they deserve.

For the rest of us its pretty much a morbid curiosity in the same way we read about other crimes or acts of gross inhumanity and we dont really need to know, we just want to know.

As for the guy himself, part of me thinks he deserves everything he gets, but another part of me does tend to agree that nurture rather than nature made him what he is and he might be worthy of some compassion ....... I guess the final opinion will depend in no small part on what he did to get re-arrested and that will come out one way or another.

[Glen Mhor]

I think the way that Jack Straw and the English legal establishment is trying to keep his latest offence (which appears to be a very serious one) a secret is only further stoking up the public's anger.

I hear that The Sun today says it knows the exact circumstances of this offence but is being threatened with a gagging injunction from the Government.

How long can they keep a lid on this and how long before it's all over the internet ?

[MrsICTFC]

It is 100% correct that we do not know his identity.

We seem to live in a culture where there will be a mob mentality. This is why they change their identities not because they feel as if they deserve it but because of the people who would try to kill them. Some may say this is OK however, I don't believe in an eye for an eye.

I am in no way justifying the actions of this boy but how could we expect him to have any morals at 10 with the way he was dragged up.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

It is 100% correct that we do not know his identity.

We seem to live in a culture where there will be a mob mentality. This is why they change their identities not because they feel as if they deserve it but because of the people who would try to kill them. Some may say this is OK however, I don't believe in an eye for an eye.

I am in no way justifying the actions of this boy but how could we expect him to have any morals at 10 with the way he was dragged up.

Yes, I can't argue with much of this reply. I'm sure it is just morbid nosiness which is driving many people to want to know what he has done. I heard a Home Office spokesman give out some facts on 'lifers' out on licence. In 2009 there were 1400 out on licence, of whom 89 were recalled to prison for breaking the terms of their licence. I don't remember any clamour from the public to know what any of them had done.

[ictchris]

I doubt that either Bulger killer would end up in the Highlands or anywhere else in Scotland - they are being monitored by the Probation service of England and Wales and I imagine that moving them to a different jurisdiction would cause issues with monitoring.

The reason he has anonymity is because if people knew his name there is a good chance that he, or someone with a similar name or appearence, would be attacked and possibly killed. We don't live in a society where justice is dished out by mobs, we live in a society of laws. Clearly the crime was horrific but the circumstances were far different to other child murders - both killers were so young they would not even be considered criminally responsible in most states. you can't judge ten year olds by the same criteria as adult prisoners.

[SMEE]

I was watching Question Time on thursday night. Will Self made a very good point....he sed....in this country, we like to think of this individual as a monster and a cold blooded killing machine. Will Self stated that he himself had read all the papaerwprk regarding the case. By all accounts, the two "killers" were in fact two very frightened and confused 10 yr olds who had very little understanding of the seriousness of what they had done!

Thought i would just throw this into the mix!

[crownjaggie]

I was watching Question Time on thursday night. Will Self made a very good point....he sed....in this country, we like to think of this individual as a monster and a cold blooded killing machine. Will Self stated that he himself had read all the papaerwprk regarding the case. By all accounts, the two "killers" were in fact two very frightened and confused 10 yr olds who had very little understanding of the seriousness of what they had done!

Thought i would just throw this into the mix!

Didn't see question time, but would add to what Smee has said. I think all of us have done something wrong in our childhood. I suspect that what started with these two as a game to take the wee lad snowballed out of control, and they then tried to hide what they had done, knowing they would be in trouble if they were caught. I very much doubt the would have been able to comprehend the resources that were used to track them and their victime down at the time. Yes they are a product of their environment, but that is still no excuse for the offence.

I am the product of a "broken home" but my mother, small as she was didn't take any nonsense and despite being very protective dealt justice with an iron hand when she had to. I can say without a shadow of doubt that at 10 year old I knew right from wrong.

Part of me feels that Venables and his cohort should not have been given anonimity, but left to fend for themselves. But then again two or in this case three wrongs never make a right.

[EWS]

A serious sexual offence apparently

[dan_ict]

I think all of us have done something wrong in our childhood.

Cant say ive killed a few people when i was 10

[PullMyFinger]

I think all of us have done something wrong in our childhood.

Cant say ive killed a few people when i was 10

Were you allowed watching horror films at 10?

[EWS]

A serious sexual offence apparently

Child pornography apparently.

[Yngwie]

In the good old days we'd just send undesirables like this to Australia.

[Johnboy]

In the good old days we'd just send undesirables like this to Australia.

That had actualy been considered but was thrown out when millions of Aussies signed this petition....

^{Subject: FW: Petition Jamie Bulger}

^{Do you remember February 1993 in England, when a young boy}

^{Of 3 was taken from a Liverpool shopping}

^{Centre by two 10-year-old boys? Jamie Bulger walked away}

^{From his mother for only}

^{A second, Jon Venables took his hand and led him out of}

^{The mall with his friend Robert Thompson.}

^{They took Jamie on a walk for over 2 and a half miles,}

^{Along the way stopping}

^{Every now and again to}

^{Torture the poor little boy who was crying constantly for}

^{His mummy.}

^{Finally they stopped at a railway track where they}

^{Brutally Kicked him, threw}

^{Stones at him, rubbed paint in his eyes, pushed batteries}

^{Up his anus and cut his}

^{Fingers off with scissors. Other mutilations were}

^{Inflicted but not reported in}

^{The press. What these}

^{Two boys did was so horrendous that Jamie's mother was}

^{Forbidden to identify his}

^Body.

^{They then left his beaten small body on railway tracks so}

^{A Train could run him}

^{Over to hide the mess they had created. These two boys,}

^{Even being boys,}

^{Understood what they did was wrong, hence trying to make}

^{It look like an accident.}

^{This week Lady Justice Butler-Sloss has awarded the two}

^{Boys Anonymity for the}

^{Rest of their lives when they leave custody with new}

^{Identities. They will also}

^{Leave custody early only serving just over half of their}

^Sentence.

^{They are being relocated to Australia to live out the rest}

^{Of their lives. They}

^{Disgustingly and violently took Jamie's life away and in}

^{Return they each get a}

^{New life!}

^{Please.... . If you feel as strongly as we do, (and if you}

^{Haven't already signed}

^{This petition) that this is a grave Miscarriage of justice}

^{- Hit the forward}

^{Button and add your name at the end, and send it to}

^{Everyone you can!}

^{If you are the 700th person to sign, please forward this}

^{E-mail to:}

^{cust.ser.cs@gtnet.gov.uk and attention it to Lady Justice}

^{Butler-Sloss. Then}

^{Continue on until it hits 1400, before you email her the}

^{List again.}

^{There is power in numbers & these petitions do help.}

^{Maybe it'll prevent another}

^{Child from a violent death & maybe it'll get greater, more}

^{Appropriate convictions}

^{For these criminals....whatever their age.}

^{Please take a few seconds to forward it to your mail list}

^{& don't forget to add}

^{Your name to the list.}

[Oz647]

I feel that by breaking the terms of their licence he has given up the right to anonimity and protection. You may argue that he was a child when he carried out the Bulger killing but he was an adult when he broke the terms and therefore should know right from wrong. I don't condone revenge attacks but I must admit if it had been my boy they killed I would spend my life tracking them both down and stop at nothing until they were dead. Crownjaggie mentions they might have started this as a game and it got out of control. Fine if it was why not just leave the boy at someones front door/in a shop/at a police station. The nature of the attack shows this was not just hiding anything it was a vicious attack carried out by two sick individuals. If it turns out that venables has carried out a serious breach of his terms ie: assault/rape/murder etc. then he should be identified and inprisoned for life.

[MrsICTFC]

I must admit if it had been my boy they killed I would spend my life tracking them both down and stop at nothing until they were dead.

Same here but that is the reason why we have a justice system.

[Johnboy]

I must admit if it had been my boy they killed I would spend my life tracking them both down and stop at nothing until they were dead.

Same here but that is the reason why we have a justice system.

A justice system that not only allows them total anonymity for the rest of their lives, it actually helps them create new identities and all the encouragement they might need to start new lives.

Venables and Thomson were free from custody after only serving just over half of their sentence.

Who says crime doesn't pay?

[EWS]

If they had been rehabilitated and had proven to the judiciary system that they had reformed then I think they had every right to be released. I think their release came when they were going to be transferred into an adult prison- and it was a good point for them to be re evaluated.

However, if Venebals has broken the terms of his release, then he should have his freedom revoked, and he should be sent back to jail for the remainder of his term.

Having a system that allows rehabilitation and compassion is what makes GB great sometimes. Unfortunatly, it can be far too easily abused or twisted for many reasons.

[Oz647]

Unfortunately, I think that if it is true about Venables involved in Child porn or indeed any other serious crime then it only proves that he is not rehabilitated and therefore should not have been released. He has been arrested for an alleged serious breach of his parole so I presume it must involve violence of some sort. The question is, is this the first time he has re-offended or just the first time he has been caught?

Edited March 7, 2010 by Oz647

[Johnboy]

Having a system that allows rehabilitation and compassion is what makes GB great sometimes.

I think all those who have suffered from from some kind of depraved sexual assault (or worse) from someone who the justice system has been attempting to rehabilitate, might dispute that.

[latviaman]

As far as I can read into this they were released before they were transferred to the Adult Judicial system. Say what you like about those in prison but they do mete out there own right or wrong perceived punishment to those they feel deserve it

Mind you the man of straw seems to have weird idea's... cant think of anything he has ever done that sticks in my mind as decent legislature, and as a PS thought he was totally discredited in the Chilcott enquiry, proven to be a buffoon

Edited March 7, 2010 by latviaman

[MrsICTFC]

I must admit if it had been my boy they killed I would spend my life tracking them both down and stop at nothing until they were dead.

Same here but that is the reason why we have a justice system.

A justice system that not only allows them total anonymity for the rest of their lives, it actually helps them create new identities and all the encouragement they might need to start new lives.

Venables and Thomson were free from custody after only serving just over half of their sentence.

Who says crime doesn't pay?

Why? If you read my first post you will see that the reason they do this is because of the fact that they would probably be murdered, hounded by mobs etc. They don't do that because they want them to go off and have a fantastic life! We live in a country where once you have served your time you are free and everyone is entitled to that right.

I think what people forget is that this isn't the only murder since 1993. The press have highlighted this case and turned these two men (10 year old boys) into hated figures. What about all the rest of the criminals. The media sway so much.

I had a relative who was beaten to death by her boyfriend. He no doubt will be out in about 6 years maybe less. I want nothing more for him to be rehabilitated so that he cannot do the same thing again. If not it means that the justice system is failing.

[Johnboy]

Mind you the man of straw seems to have weird idea's... cant think of anything he has ever done that sticks in my mind as decent legislature, and as a PS thought he was totally discredited in the Chilcott enquiry, proven to be a buffoon

JS was proven to be a buffoon long before the Chilcott enquiry!