C4 now - the James Bulger case **Trigger Warning - Contains Info about the case** (Title edited by MNHQ)

[Hairgician]

Sat watching this now.

I do not accept the view that those 2 boys were treated unfairly. They murdered that poor little boy and they knew what they were doing and that it was wrong.

They should be rotting in jail. Aibu to say justice not served??

that the police keep a very close eye on people like him?

Venables was able to get away with using drugs and downloading child porn. He also had a relationship with a woman with a very young child for 7 months before his parole officer found out.

Correct me if I’m wrong but neither Thompson or Venables suffered severe child abuse did they?

One of the mothers was an alcoholic etc, boy had lots of siblings and was neglected, but where does it ever say he was beaten/ or sexually abused?

@BashStreetKid oh bore off.

Cronuts, since when did what others have correctly described on here as horrendous sibling abuse amount to low level neglect?

I had a similar childhood to this, I lived with it everyday and so did my siblings. It has messed me up enormously and my mental health is fragile. But even at ten and having witnessed constant violence and violence being metered out, I can say that I absolutely did not want to go out and murder a toddler. It’s bollocks to cite their background as an excuse!

I had a similar childhood to this also. Violence daily, neglect, abuse and so did my siblings. It hasn't messed me up at all and I have little tolerance for people who blame their adult behaviour on their childhood experiences.

But, thankfully, I am intelligent enough to realise that everyone reacts differently even if they have suffered the same events.

Adult courts are full of people being given due consideration because of their backgrounds. The same should apply to children.

I still don't see what purpose it serves to go over the whole awful business again and again. Stupid people get to have an outrage-wank, or give themselves nightmares, but nothing positive comes out of it.

Unless, of course, someone in the government is thinking about catering to morons some more by holding a referendum on the death penalty, and wants them all revved up again...

I find it interesting that Venables who supposedly had the “better” background to Thompson is the one who has reoffended and I wonder how much influence being inside for his whole adolescence has affected his offending behaviour.

That's called having a mental illness, not being evil.

Which is precisely why I was careful not to call them evil, I said they acted in ways that could be described as evil.

Wannabewonderwoman you are totally right. It also seems bizarre beyond belief that so called professionals were happy to release them after barely 8 years. Not a single day in an adult prison either. Too think that they got police protection too, when normal law abiding citizens who have never done any harm to anyone are even lucky to get a police officer if they call them in need. At least one man killed himself too, as a result of being mistaken for one of them.

How have these two slept at night for the last 25 years?

Which is precisely why I was careful not to call them evil, I said they acted in ways that could be described as evil.

Okay, so your answer to my question of whether people in this thread really believe babies can be born evil was "no". Seems like not everyone agrees with us on that though.

I am sure Denise and Ralph Bulger go over this 'awful business' every single morning when they wake in the morning Reanimated.

You can't say all 10 year olds know right from wrong
In this case their head teacher and another teacher, a consultant psychiatrist and a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist all gave evidence that they would have known that what they were doing was wrong. They sought to challenge the fairness of their trial and the tariff imposed but they never appealed against their conviction for murder and abduction.

What really worries me about this sort of programme is the way that, every time this case is mentioned, they exploit Denise Bulger. It's heavily reminiscent of the way journalists used to go round knocking on the door of Lesley Ann Downey's mother every time Brady or Hindley received the tiniest bit of publicity. It's really horrible how they're paraded before the camera for the delight of the prurient.

MrsFring - I was too young to really be aware of what happened at the time. I wanted to understand how the judge came to his decision, why the government got involved, how much were psychologists listened to, why the identities of the boys were not hidden, how it affected handling of future cases.

The relish with which some posters are describing the crime is really stomach churning.

I am pretty sure if they were still locked up and there was nothing newsworthy to report on them as they weren't re-offending, and no one wondered what had become of them, or whether they were living next door, then there would little of the 'awful business' still in the media. I am sure the Bulgers could do without it and others opinions on it.

Prurient, the very word. It sums up pointless programmes like this and the ensuing hysteria.

Wannabe: As do many other bereaved parents. But, you know, having it brought up by the media again and again probably doesn't do them any favours. There isn't anything that can or should be done about this case, so focussing on it doesn't seem to have any particular point, apart from winding up the plebs to a state of rage.

10 year olds can be monsters too. Had they quickly killed him in a way that an adult but perhaps a child wouldn't understand would result in death I would see things differently.

It's that they kidnapped and tortured him first before killing him, that they selected a smaller, younger child, a toddler that they knew they could do whatever they wanted to.

That's what makes them monsters who should have been kept in prison.

The scary thing is, back in 2010 Venables was I believe grooming single mothers online. He even pretended to be a female himself. Can you imagine the danger a child would be in if hey came into contact with Venables. By chance he was caught by his probation officer.What about protecting the fucking public eh?? Why should our children potentially live amongst them?

Agree @Emabrmsca they should of been locked away for life! How poor James’ parents cope I do not know. Evil twisted bastards!

Okay, so your answer to my question of whether people in this thread really believe babies can be born evil was "no". Seems like not everyone agrees with us on that though

It's an emotive case, logic tends to get thrown out of the window.

I've just seen a trailer for another Bulger programme on ITV this time, marking the 25 anniversary. It all seems a bit mawkish and unnecessary to me but maybe the parents find some comfort in it. Who knows.

@JediJim that is scary!!! Sickening!

CapnHaddock: Yup. There's something quite unhealthy about the way people dwell on the details.

I just can’t get over what they did to that little boy. My heart breaks for his family, who have to live with knowing what happened.