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

The brain is still developing into your 20s, so it's perfectly possible for both of them to no longer be a danger.

Leaving aside that this study was reported so poorly as to be junk science, JV's brain was hardly developing normally as a child.

I think there was something uniquely shocking about what they did.

If Robert Thompson is truly rehabilited and remorseful, I'd imagine he lives in a hell of his own conscience.

You're deliberately misunderstanding what I'm saying which is very tiresome.

It's a question of whether a child can be rehabilitated or whatever they're 'born evil' and their character is set in stone.

There have been cases of children such as Mary Bell who murdered several children but left prison and haven't committed any crime since.

Bell came from a very dysfunctional background and it could be argued that she was acting out given everything done to her.

It's possible to commit horrific acts and go on not to repeat them. There are children who escalate, moving from torturing animals to torturing and killing people.

I was looking at whether those two boys continued to commit acts of extreme violence. It seems as though neither have gone on to commit similar horrific acts.

I haven't said that child sexual abuse images are in anyway acceptable.

There are tons of much more dangerous and violent criminals who are out and about.

How many of them torture and mutilate toddlers?

I suspected you didn't because I don't think many mothers would agree on second chances for child killers.

This

Hi. No, not married and have no children. I was the one who did the Andrew Gosden thread but otherwise haven’t posted anything crime related.

As this is a parent related forum I would presume some of the other people on here who have said the same as me RE rehabilitation are parents.

@Mingenious
I expect I would, yes
You are a better person than me because I would want him to suffer every single day for the absolutely barbaric acts they did on a toddler They knew right from wrong, planned it and had the foresight to dispose of evidence and to try to get out of charges.
Indeed they were 10,but they knew exactly what they were doing.

If my child died terrified and in agony at the hands of others I'm not convinced I would understand rehabilitation to be honest.

I’m not misunderstanding you I just disagree with you. I believe looking at images of children is just as heinous and violent as going out and committing the crime in person, apart from murder I can’t think of a worse crime. Because of this John Venables shouldn’t see the light of day again.

The reason I posted this (for people who are angry or annoyed) is back at school in RE we had a debate/discussion about the topic. I am interested in true crime and the opinions of others. The true crime forum here doesn’t have many people on it so posted in chat. If people are genuinely offended it is easy enough to click off. I am not a journalist.

I agree with you in that I think John V’s character is pretty much set in stone. While making CSAM isn’t murder, it’s a different crime altogether, it’s just as bad IMO.

Perhaps a few are parents and share the same opinion as you. Perhaps. But actually faced with the reality of having their child tortured to death I would wager these parents would soon change their minds on second chances.

I can't imagine a world where you could be rehabilitated to be "normal" and able to live with yourself after committing that crime.

What happened James Bolger was horrific, beyond comprehension really.

There are many many children who unfortunately grow up in horrible circumstances but they don't murder a toddler. Their background doesn't explain their actions enough. It may very well have been a contributing factor but there's more to it or every neglected child would be a murdered.

I don't believe people capable of heinous crimes can be rehabilitated at all. They may no longer commit crimes whatever it's in them that caused them to commit the crime in the first place is innately in them and can't be removed.

I couldn't murder a toddler under any circumstance - it's just not in me. Ever fibre of my being says not possible- same for the vast majority I'm sure.

Thompson was definitely the more intelligent of the two and that does give him an advantage. The evilness (for want of a better word) has to be still in him he's just managed to control it. While that's a positive, nothing forgives what he did. Nothing. He doesn't deserve to live a happy life now, he deserves nothing.

I've always thought that.

I don’t necessarily think he is rehabilitated but I do think he doesn’t want to go back to prison and is smart enough to know that he needs to stay clean and his identity secret to avoid that risk

@Cheffymcchef Could you forgive them if it was your child they tortured and killed do you think? (I know some people can). Just genuinely curious.

Agree. It blows my mind that people even think its possible. Gosh I can't imagine being that naive!

I read that both of these killers were diagnosed with PTSD after what they did.

I’m devoid of any sympathy for that.

She's so dignified, isn't she? So strong, she never gives up even though she has gone through hell.

Hopefully!

ACEs were withdrawn half a decade ago now as it harms people and isn't to be used any longer. People who are abused are less likely to go on to abuse others.