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Original poster

re Facebook and the pictures of James Bulger's killers

347 replies

NessieMcFessie · 15/02/2013 16:11

A friend of mine on Facebook has posted the pictures of James Bulger's killers as they look 'today'. I have no idea where they have come from or if they are actually the two men involved (and I don't know if she knows any of this information).

AIBU to report these pictures? She has had loads of support under her post.

OP posts:
Pigsmummy · 15/02/2013 22:25

Gordy it's not "quiet" but "quite".

pigletmania · 15/02/2013 22:26

No Gordy I don't feel that way at all after all it's not my tragedy, but I feel utter sadness and horror I can't help my feelings, and I feel anger and injustice at those who did it. No I didn't believe vilangetism and have ignored te Facebook photos, I feel they shoud have received a custodial sentence to fit the gravity of th crime. I feel anger at te judicial system

MarianneM · 15/02/2013 22:27

Justice was not done for that poor little boy or his family, personally I think these two vermin should have been chucked down a dark hole and left to rot. But in today's society where every one harps on about rehabilitation and human rights these two were given a cosy cell and a new start in life.
They can get married, have Children and do all the things that little boy they killed for fun will never be able to do.
I feel for his family, it must be so hard to wake up with this every day, that someone took your baby and tortured and killed him, and those people are allowed back in to society and protected.
God forbid if someone had done that to my child I would not rest until I had ripped them limb from limb, then I would sit in my prison cell happily.
Vengeance in place of justice as there really is no punishment fit for what they did to that little boy, even animals do not behave in such a manner, and if a dog killed a child it would be put down, shame we could not do that to Venables and Thompson really

I'm really depressed at posts like the above.

The boys were children themselves. This revenge mentality which is extended to children is grim.

LittleChimneyDroppings · 15/02/2013 22:28

Those 10 year old children were pretty much tried by the general public in an adult court. They had limited understanding of the court process, they came from severely dysfunctional backgrounds, and its very debateable that their motive was murder, although the end result were undoubtedly tragic. This case was tried in this manner to appease the public.

Its interesting to compare a similar case in Norway of two 6 yr old boys murdering a 5 year old girl. Instead of the public baying for the blood of two children, they actually chose to view the children as victims themselves. In fact when questioned, the mother of the girl who was murdered in Norway was very perplexed when asked whether she hated the boys who had killed her daughter. She believed in rehabilitation for those children in order for them to exist in society. The age of criminal responsibility there is far higher, 14 or 15 I believe.

Its a shame that this country does not take a similar attitude, and look at why these things happen and try to rehabilitate, instead of taking the hard line that 10 year old children are monsters and evil. They are the sad product of a very shite background, lacking in emotional contact and a moral upbringing.

You know its possible to feel two things at once. Deep sadness for what happened to James Bulger, and his family, and also feel sadness at the same time for two ten year olds who were let down by their families, and the system.

gordyslovesheep · 15/02/2013 22:29

oh dear - is that where we are at - correcting spellings? seriously?

I have a MLD and I have a skin condition that sometimes makes typing difficult - but feel free to mention it - I think it means you feel you are loosing the argument and it's a fairly low attack :)

ThatVikRinA22 · 15/02/2013 22:29

how do you report? these pics have appeared on my wall shared from an aquaintence - i dont know how to report it though.

MarianneM · 15/02/2013 22:29

Chimney - agree with everything you said.

FoxyRevenger · 15/02/2013 22:30

In mrcrumpswifes world putting 2 severely neglected and damaged children in prison = love bombing.

Seriously, the lack of humanity in your post...it's really shocking to me.

pigletmania · 15/02/2013 22:32

I just find it hard to feel empathy for those boys, noteveryonewho comes from a dysfunctional family murders. The only thing it does is explain their behaviour but should not excuse it! I understand that one of them has possessed child porn, nothing changes then!

Cortana · 15/02/2013 22:32

That's the real issue here Pigsmummy.

Heaven forbid people talking about an emotive and upsetting subject (and I mean those on both sides of the debate here) should slip and use the wrong word when it comes to trying to explain why they feel a certain way.

It's surveillance not "survellience" btw. HTH.

feralgirl · 15/02/2013 22:33

I hate the vigilante crap but I do actually have a practical question; I've reported the posts on FB but what do I report them as, it's not like they're spam or hate speech or sexually explicit content is it? I'm not reporting them just because I don't like them, I'm reporting them because primarily I worry that the picture is not Jon Venables and therefore that a completely innocent person will be targeted.

All of this said, the reason that I hate all this vigilante crap is because, if it were my kid who had been murdered, I would want to be the person that hunted down and avenged his death, I wouldn't want a bunch of complete strangers in my business.

AmberLeaf · 15/02/2013 22:33

Seriously just google it, it isn't because of Facebook that these pictures are out there. Facebook is a way to share not the origin of the photo

There hasnt been a denial from anyone regards these photos

So tell me which of the 3 different men whos pics are being shared all over facebook today is either of the 2 killers?

Just because you can find the pics on google does NOT mean it is either of them two.

M0naLisa · 15/02/2013 22:35

If i am correct this picture went round when Jon Venables was hauled back into custody because of the child photos on his PC. It was then that a story in the paper emerged from the bloke in the pics to say his life has been unbareable. He is not Jon Venables, i think his house got torched (or could have been car)
Im almost positive that this did the rounds a couple of years ago. So not a new thing.

gordyslovesheep · 15/02/2013 22:36

one man killed himself Mona - ended his life because idiots said he was one of them - that deserves outrage and sympathy

babyfirefly1980 · 15/02/2013 22:38

I don't think it's about empathy for them, the main issue I have with the pictures is the total lack of proof.

Very stupid thing to do...just because nobody in authority has denied anything doesn't automatically mean thats because it's them.

M0naLisa · 15/02/2013 22:38

It has also popped up on my facebook once.

M0naLisa · 15/02/2013 22:38

gordyslovesheep
Bloody hell thats worse :(

AgentZigzag · 15/02/2013 22:39

'it's quiet another to latch on the a families rage and deeper feelings and try to own it '

DD2 is just over 3 YO, and knowing the level she operates on it's horrible to imagine anything like that happening to her because I know how confused and upset she'd be, even without anything physical going on.

After thinking (what I think is quite a rational thought) that, I have got a tiny, miniscule measure of understanding at the horror Denise Fergus feels.

When you see other people who have something (however tenuous it might be) in common with you, suffering, you want to reach out to them, as if to take a part of their pain away. Which is why people send cards and flowers to people they don't even know, so the person knows they're not alone.

Pigsmummy · 15/02/2013 22:40

Read Paul Britton. He was the leading psychologist on the case. His foresight is stunning. He published what he was allowed to on this case. Available from Amazon.

namchan · 15/02/2013 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cortana · 15/02/2013 22:41

I'm surprised he was allowed to publish anything on the case. Between the conflict of interest and the profit he will have made from a child murder case, no thanks, I don't think I'll buy that book.

iremembertypewriters · 15/02/2013 22:42

My SIL has shared the photos. I commented that she should delete them as they might be of innocent men, then hid it from my timeline.

She'll probably defriend me now .

Their crimes were unspeakable. But be thankful we live in a country where it's not acceptable to lynch someone on the street.

ifancyashandy · 15/02/2013 22:45

I find it difficult to post on this but... I think one of the reasons I find the horrific murder of James Bulger so emotionally evocative is because it reflects on me / 'us' as a society. I remember so well the physical reaction I had as a 23 year old childless woman. I was devastated - as was the rest of the population.

But I also remember feeling 'responsible' as a society. In the 'how can I be a part of a society that has enabled children so very very damaged?'. And I remember being horrified at people suggesting the death penalty for the per perpetrators.

I'm not sure what I'm achieving by posting this other than I want to be part of a society that gives criminal / murdering children a second chance.

And I get that people will say JV has re-offended (badly, if rumours are to be believed) but 1. What chance did he ever have and 2. I'd rather his cover wasn't blown and the authorities know where he is and who he's with.

Apologies if this rambled.

LittleChimneyDroppings · 15/02/2013 22:46

I have read Pail Britton but cant remember what he had to say on this case pigsmummy. I only focussed on it for his thoughts on the Rachel Nickell case. Would you mind summarising what you can remember of it?

LittleChimneyDroppings · 15/02/2013 22:46

*paul

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