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??

Those two boys had been terribly abused themselves. Their parents are the ones who should have been thrown in jail to rot.

Based on the fact that one of them is still posing a risk to children and committing offences and the other has apparently been rehabilitated as far as we know do people believe there was a 'ringleader'? Or were they both proven to be equally culpable? And if so should the sentences have been different?

For those querying Jon Venables’ abuse, it’s reported that he was sexually abused. His subsequent reoffending would seem to bear this out.
His mother is reported as having been “too close” to him.
This was in the days before the Portsmouth nursery abuse case brought the subject of sexual abuse by females out into the spotlight. Prior to that, many people thought women incapable of sexual abuse. Some still deny it exists.
Sexual abuse would also given some explanation as to why Jon Venables is the one who has reoffended.

Plenty of people come from abused homes and do not premeditate the abduction and subsequent murder of a toddler.
I remember the case well. My daughter is same age as James Bulger. I remember us all being utterly terrified and had my little one on extra wrist straps and reins in case she wandered off.
I didn't watch the programme. I remember it too well and had no need to see it dragged up again.

I have no sympathy for them. They knew exactly what they were doing. Jame's father wrote a book but I couldn't finish half of it without crying. His injuries were horrific.

My two children are adopted following abuse and neglect.

They have very little understanding of cause and effect

They do not have the same thought processes as other children their age

They do not learn lessons, despite being taught them repeatedly.

They have poorly developed reasoning and executive function (no surprise to anyone who knows even the rudimentary basics of child development)

They were removed from their birth family at 4 and 2

No, not everyone who is abused or neglected goes on to commit the horrific crimes these boys did.

But I can see very easily how children in that environment for their first 10 years would think and feel completely differently to a 10 year old brought up in a secure environment.

As a PP poster said, having a level of sympathy for Thompson and Venables isn’t mutually exclusive with having huge sympathy with James’ family.

@HoppingPavlova got any links for this stuff? Sounds like absolutely bollocks to me.

Those two boys had been terribly abused themselves.

This is a bit of a side issue but once the extent of the abuse became clear, were their parents prosecuted for their abuse? Or was it all lost in the more horrific crime that they committed?

Why have none of their siblings done the same thing?

It has to be somewhere between nature and nurture - and critically the chemistry Thompson and venables falling into the path of one another. A different child bunking school with either of them and it wouldn't have happened.

I don't agree that they were evil and I don't agree with adults screaming for their deaths, but at the same time it doesn't feel as if they have atoned for what they did, somehow.

I'm so glad I wasn't an adult at the time. The frothing at the mouth, throw away the key mob is just so distasteful.

It's groteseque the way people are using the torture of a small child to justify their lazy, unthinking, blame everyone else politics. It is just so grim.

I have a son who is the same age now as what James was at the time this happened to him. I look at my 2 year old and his wide eyed curiosity of the world and such innocence.

How can any human do that to a 2 year old? It is very hard to try and control the mob mentality and pure rage towards those 2 10 year olds at the time.

Whilst this continues in the public eye, people will have opinion on it, you can't stop that waz. Blame the media for keep bringing this in the spotlight.

I don’t think they did suffer “horrific abuse” did they? Certainly I know Thompson’s upbringing was poor although Venables’ was much better, albeit not optimal. I don’t think there were warning flags that they would engage In this kind of violence

Chaos, great post.

I find some of the attitudes on here positively medieval, tbh. "Born evil" ffs.

Treacle raises a good question what did happen to their parents who raised them in such a terrible environment that bred such heinous behaviour.

What they did to JB was monstrous, however children are not born evil, those two boys were damaged and broken by the adults and older siblings in their lives. They should share the responsibility.

Also all the bystanders who saw them that day and knew something was off, but did nothing.

There was never going to be a 'right way' to question them, try them and punish them. There is no correct way to treat child killers, it is so sad and tragic for everyone involved.

I believe the courts did the best they could in impossible circumstances, if we lock children away for life, we become the monsters.

We should really be examining how the system failed, and is continuing to fail now (I'm referring to the Edlington brothers, had their victims been as young and little as JB they would also be dead now) parents who abuse and destroy their children like this should be held publicly accountable.

These two boys were a product of their upbringing. They had the bad luck to be born into very difficult and abusive circumstances. Their parents are responsible for what they became.

I don't believe a child is born evil, but I do believe the conditions they are exposed to before birth and in their early years are very influential. They were abused themselves as small children and clearly damaged by that.

However, I can completely understand why people do feel these boys were entirely accountable for their actions. It was a prolonged and appalling attack on an innocent 2yo child, which they could have stopped at any time. They chose not to. They chose to murder him.

There doesn't seem to have been evidence that they have ever been remorseful or accepted responsibility

What evidence would you expect to have? We've no idea of their thoughts or feelings.

I didn't watch it, as I still find it such a disturbing thing to try and process. What I struggle with is that the parents of those 2 boys didn't seem to get any punishment (i'm not sure thats the right word, maybe I mean consequences) for allowing those 2 children to grow up in such a way that they were capable of such a heinous act. They were 10 years old. It's unfathomable. Are we to believe that people are born "evil" and have significant brain issues that stop them processing right and wrong concepts; or are they raised that way?

I have such admiration for James' parents in how they've always behaved with such courage and dignity. I'm not sure I could have gone on after such a terrible event.

There were flaws in the so-called rehabilitation received by Venables. The centre received accolades and a large injection of funding for concluding that Venables had been successfully rehabilitated. The desire for a successful outcome clouded judgement and a rehabilitated Venables was something of a 'prize'.
This could be one reason why he is keen to return to his special status and therefore reoffends.
As for Denise no longer having the energy to be angry, it makes me feel that I should be angry on her behalf. Share the burden with her almost. Nothing to do with 'relishing' the details.