There but for the grace of God go we...
Whilst countless children with very deprived backgrounds manage to overcome their troubles, or at least work their way through it, some do not.
James Bulger's death was not merely a tragedy concerning one family and the death of an innocent child, but also a tragic tale of how ultimately three children's lives collided irrevocably.
For all the accusations of 'evil' children, my own belief is that Venables and Thompson were born in innocence. What a sad indictment of our world it is, when within a few short years, they can be moulded into killers - perhaps in part by a predisposition, but most likely for the large part a combination of circumstance, conditioning and environment.
It does not mean to say that because hundreds of thousands of troubled children do not go on to kill, that when a handful actually do, that society absolves itself of all blame.
What happened was horrific. Trying to understand why seems futile, but we must try. Thompson and Venables are not alone. Mary Bell too - and others have suffered similarly.
Mary Bell's (they say) is effectively rehabilitated. Venables seemingly not so. That does not mean that young offenders (including killers) should not be afforded the chance to salvage something from their lives.
If we cannot prevent such crimes (and the evidence shows we can't) then we should at least try to understand. 'Evil kids' is not an answer.