Do you think Robert Thompson is truly rehabilitated?

[Cheffymcchef]

As we all know, James Bulger was a two-year-old boy from the UK whose tragic abduction and murder in 1993 shocked the world. Taken from a shopping center by two ten-year-old boys, John Venables and Robert Thompson, his death became one of the most harrowing and widely known cases in modern British history. To this day, nearly everyone who hears his name knows the heartbreaking story and the profound impact it had on public consciousness and the justice system.
both boys were released after serving 8 years, when they turned eighteen. John Venables returned to prison twice for possessing CSAM. He is currently still in prison.
I personally think Venables is sick and can’t be “cured” of his attraction to kids. He will always reoffend imo, even if his devices etc are taken away. He needs to stay in prison. He’s also allegedly revealed his identity and needed several new identities costing the taxpayer even more. I know you get all this “stop it now” therapy- I just don’t think pedophiles can be cured. It’s like trying to do conversion therapy on a straight person.
I don’t know how I feel about Thompson- he committed a heinous murder, but did his time in custody. He’s never reoffended and now allegedly lives with a partner who knows who he is. Can’t remember if he has children. From studying this case, it always seems like he was deemed the ring leader, yet he is the one who has cleaned himself up and stayed out of trouble.
both boys allegedly came from abusive households.
I know poor James' mum will never get over his death. I cant imagine the mixed feelings she must have, she likely thinks it was wrong for either boy to be released so young.
I can’t say I’d be too thrilled about Thompson moving into my area if that’s the case, but truthfully I think if he’s done his time he needs to be left alone now to live his life . But that’s probably a wildly unpopular opinion- because James will never get to live his life.
what do you think?

posted in crime but moved here for traffic

@CareerChange24

the irony. Youve ’regurgitated’ it yourself twice by re posting it!

not cool

This thread should be taken down. I’m not “cool” for calling it out. Shouldn’t have been said in the first place so it’s already out there!

I've no idea where you get your information from but the concept of ACEs was developed in the 1970s in Florida. Lets see the data and studies your information comes from to support your view, already given you mine. By the way, ACEs aren't a scoring tool.

Why should the thread be taken down?

Can we stop with the constant repetition of exactly what happened? It’s as if some are deriving pleasure from posting the details.

also what’s with the analysis “if they felt remorse they would have killed themselves” how do you know that? You don’t.

maybe in fact rehabilitation means they know they have to live with what they did for the rest of their lives. And in fact, if either of them did kill themselves there would be threads branding them cowards and that if they’d been remorseful they would want to live with it for the rest of their lives.

The fact none of us know anything about his life now suggests Thompson overcame the challenges of an abusive and neglectful home life and a toxic friendship. When people are genuinely remorseful and have completed their sentences I do believe in giving them a chance to live a normal life.

OP have you heard of the case of Silje Redergård? It's a Norwegian case which took place in 1994, also two boys murdering a younger child. In Norway instead of putting the children into the criminal justice system they treated it as a welfare case and the outcome for the perpetrators has been more positive than for Venebles and Thompson.

I did my dissertation on the management of child offenders in the youth justice system and completely support taking a more humane and rational approach like Norway did here. I guess it depends on how you see the purpose of the youth justice system, I think rehabilitation should be paramount but clearly reading the comments here many people prefer punishment to be the main focus.

You do know it would be against the law for anybody to share his image.

Or, he is just very good at hiding his compulsions as he knows what the alternative is.
I don't believe child murderers change.

Children who murder or people who murder children? I think a 10 year old is young enough, in some cases, to be reformed. Taking him away from an abusive background may even have saved him. It’s clear that Venables was the driving force in this crime. I very much hope Thompson has left that life behind him and built a life worthy of the second chance he was given.

Well isn’t that nice, I’m so pleased for him. Imagine knowing the horror you inflicted on a baby and James family and having the nerve to say that, knowing full well they’d hear about it.
Reading this thread has made me realise how terrible it is that society focuses way more on.. Did Robert Thompson/Fred West/Maxine Carr have a bad past, let’s help them move on. I’m sure they all did, but none of them had it as bad as there victims.
Even if Robert Thompson is the nicest guy to walk the planet now what he chose to do cannot be undone, and maybe people like him should be made to live with that forever, in prison.

He tortured and murdered a child. He didn't shoplift or take drugs.
That level of dysfunction and psychopathic behaviour can't be rehabilitated. It is well documented that when in detention he played the game and said the right things while convincing no one that he was remorseful.

He'll just be masking keeping his depravity well buried. Hopefully the appropriate services are keeping a close eye on him. Can't believe his partner knows all about his identity, who tf would want to be with that?!

No. Our prisons are full. Do your time and move on

My information was from the people who undertook the original study. The study itself and their subsequent papers. Dr Robert Anda is the source.

The data on abuse victims is well known. Most abuse victims are female. Fewer abuse victims are male. Most perpetrators of abuse are male. Fewer perpetrators of abuse are female. So those abused the most are the least likely to perpetrate abuse in adulthood. Those abused the least are the most likely to perpetrate abuse in adulthood. Meaning the statement 'abused people abuse people' is false.

Your view is that almost all females in the world are likely to be abusers as they were abused in childhood. That is quite a statement to make. Given 99.3% of females experience sexual abuse by the time they are 18 and 90% of girls experiencing that within school your claim that these girls are likely to become abusers or face utter shite in their life as a result of their abuse is quite a statement. Absolutely they will not. Some will do, most will not so that again shows the limit of ACEs that they label people as - without our help this is what you will be which is absolutely bullshit as most females do not get help with sexual trauma.

ACEs was never meant to be a scoring tool I was the one who said that initially so no by the way to be had, I already stated that. It has been manipulated into one which it shouldn't be.

I think he probably is. I know JV is absolutely not! I also know that he keeps telling people who he is, just before he went back inside he said who he was and the police confirmed it when they moved him on with another bloody identity.

We're going to close this thread to new posts now. We've had a lot of reports about it and we also have several concerns about the OP.

So the fact that a trauma informed approach has been incorporated into policy decisions both here and in the USA for years now doesn't mean anything to you? You said the theory was debunked and not used any more, clearly it is not as governments are basing policy on the theory. As far as who abuses who, you've not given any instances of research to support your claims that abused children don't go on to be abusers. They don't in general and I think I said that, no mention of the sex of abusers or victims by me, so not sure why I've been mentioned in that context. Throw in some research on that statement and also that the theory is debunked and we can look at it. I may add that my knowledge comes from being a practitioner in the Criminal Justice System, UK and is specific to the cases I've dealt with and to this thread.