Jon Venables is getting paroled.

[BOF]

Denise Fergus is understandably devastated. I was surprised not to notice a thread on this yet- what do people think?

Cross thread!

It's disgusting that poor woman deserves some peace. I'm in a state of shock they would release him he's obviously still a danger to children.

Yes, wasn't he found to be looking at child porn?

I think it's theoretically possible to be rehabilitated, but I'm not convinced he is. I wonder what the Parole Board considered?

Here is the BBC story on the parole board ruling. It was new on the site only 13 minutes ago, so I don't think there has been anything surprising.

It was category 5 child porn as well.

But what is the reason why the parole board want to release him?

itsjust that's what I don't understand! From the dm report he's been diagnosed as a pschycopath by some professionals so why isn't he in a pschyiatric hospital

I'm not sure you can trust the DMs reporting.

Those boys should have never been released and venables convictions since proove exactly why-still a danger to children!!
Why on earth the parole board think he is suitable for realise is beyond belief!

Poor denise fergus

Was the other one (Thompson?) released?

Not sure soup

Yeah Thompson was released early 2000

sounds like a bad idea, given one of the reasons he was sent back into a secure hospital in the first place was that he couldn't cope and was revealing his identity. Quite apart from the child porn - not sure it is possible to guarantee that someone has lost their taste for that revolting stuff.

Thompson seems to be holding to the terms of his parole.

Venables is a vile person whom I doubt can be rehabilitated. So we'll hear of his doings for the rest of his life.

This is going to end well isn't it.

He had his chance, he proved that once again, he cannot be trusted and is a danger to children.

Incredibly stupid decision by the parole board.

I'm amazed Theresa may hasn't stepped in and over ruled the decision

The parole board will not have deided this lightly. The 'easy' choice would have been to refuse this. SO I'm happy to trust their judgement and hope to hell they're right and no child suffers as a result of this. I sympathise very much with Denise Fergus but justice is not the preserve of the bereaved. It's the reposnsibility of the state, weighing the rights of both the victim and the guilty. Very, very hard choices are made sometimes.

I agree with Northern lurker. Much as I absolutely despise what those boys did, they were boys.
Let the proper authorities decide his fate. I can't imagine them letting him slip through their fingers.

Very sad for all involved. I hope that this decision doesn't prove to be a mistake.

Northern, indeed, I realise the parole board will have looked at this very carefully - but presumably that's what they did last time.

Yes and possibly that's what they'll do next time too. That's as it should be. You cannot base parole decisions on the fear of what hideous thing could be done. If that's allowed to rule then nobody should ever be parolled. They must judge on the evidence presented to them and we need to hope they make the right call. We can't assume this is the wrong decision and keeping him incarcerated would be the right one - nobody can see the future.

So, northernlurker, would you want him living next door/hanging out at your local pool, where you take the kids/down the pub etc etc (and you wouldn't even know about it)?

I am usually fairly liberal but I think he should be locked up for life.

What do I know about anybody else at the pub or the pool or the school gate? He may move in next to me. I wouldn't know and as long as he keeps within the law I have no need to know. I treat my neighbours as I would wish to be treated - with respect. Do I want to live next to somebody who continues to connive at the abuse of children. No I don't - but that's ok because the parole board has said that won't be happening. I don't think Denise Fergus should have to live in fear that she'll run in to him in the post office or supermarket but she and her family are the only ones entitled to that consideration. There are plenty of people on parole living all around us. Why should Venables be differently treated because we loathe him so much. Fear and anger is no motivator for justice.

Why should he be treated differently you asked, northernlurker?

Because he had proven himself, on more than one occasion to be utterly depraved.

I admire and respect your POV and wish I agreed. In fact I often argue exactly what you are saying wrt other criminals released into the community.

But not this time. What he did was just too extreme. And coupled with the conviction from a few years ago. No.

"Those boys should have never been released and venables convictions since proove exactly why-still a danger to children!!"

Surely Thompson proves the exact opposite could be argued with equal merit.

Northern, I understand that the best predictor of future behaviour wrt criminality, especially for offenders with mental disorders, is past behaviour.