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?

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I'm with Northern and MayorQuimby here. I really, really struggle with the idea of locking up two 10-year-olds and throwing away the key. That's only 2 years older than DS. I think Venables is quite possibly broken, and I don't know what the answer is, but AFAIK Thompson has been successfully rehabilitated into society. What had happened in the 10 years of their lives before they killed James to make them carry out such an atrocity? I can totally see Denise Fergus' point, but she is never, ever going to have an objective view, which is why crime victims don't decide sentences, release dates etc.

[TimothyClaypoleLover]

Agree with northernlurker and mayorquimby.

I also don't necessarily agree that he should be released just yet but for comments to be made on here that a 10 year old should be killed for his crimes is frightening.

Yes, what they did was absolutely horrendous but people are so focused on what they did and exacting revenge rather than looking at why they did it and trying to rehabilitate them. I am amazed that one of them has managed to be rehabilitated given they spent most of their childhood/informative years locked away.

[TimothyClaypoleLover]

PeterParker - also remember that one of them had a horrendous upbringing, think it was Venables but not 100%. Believe the family went into hiding so not sure whether they were held to account. But, yes, you have got to think that family upbringing played a major part in this and that shouldn't be forgotten.

[StealthPolarBear]

"There may be a lot of low level vandalism, perhaps arson which would impinge on other citizens and as has been seen before the potential for innocent citizens to be targeted in the belief that its him."

Not disagreeing with your overall post but surely misidentification is more likely to happen if he doesn't reveal who he is?

I agree wth FloggingMolly that if he chooses to reveal his identity as an adult, he shouldn't be prevented from doing so. The general public should not have to protected from their own actions - if they choose to attack him then they face the consequences as always.

[mayorquimby]

"Not disagreeing with your overall post but surely misidentification is more likely to happen if he doesn't reveal who he is?"

I think it's one you can argue either way so I'd accept your point.
The last time his name was in the paper when he reoffended the police stated he was in custody, this didn't stop the competitively outraged on fb naming an innocent man as JV despite him not being in custody. In short I don't trust the public with any information like this, they'll commit any sort of moral gymnastics to justify their conspiracy theory.
So either they'd still just point the finger at some random lad and say they heard from x who heard from his brother who's a copper that this is really him. Or else anyone with the same name.
As I say you could equally argue your point so its one I wouldn't fight too hard ahainst

[Branleuse]

That norway case is completely different to the bulger case. Not even comparable.

[PrincessFiorimonde]

I agree with northernlurker, mayorquimby, etc.

Anyone else remember the case of Mary Bell? She was 11 when she killed 2 little boys in 1968. She was sentenced to life imprisonment and served 12 years in young offenders'/adult prisons.

She's been out for over 30 years and as far as I know has never been in any other sort of trouble.

So no need to suggest that children who kill other children (the very rarest of crimes, I imagine) are irredeemably evil and can't be rehabilitated.

[Branleuse]

If he had kept his head down and got on with his life, then id think hed been sucessfully rehabilitated, but he was charged with having the most hideous kinds of images of children being raped. I think hes had his chance. I think society is now a danger to him, and hes a danger to society.

[Fairylea]

Of course I know how much it costs to keep someone in prison (someone asked me that upthread). So far he has had 3 new identities, numerous court costs, psychologist and probation costs and everything else. If anything I would say the costs are comparable with keeping him in, especially as I think it is highly likely he will yet again reoffend. Also, although he was arrested for child pornography, he had been revealing his true identity to many people before he was arrested, hence his photo supposedly plastered all over the internet. I don't see why he would be so keen to keep yet another new identity a secret when he wouldn't before. How many new identities is he going to be given?

I always find it surprising that mumsnet, a forum predominantly full of parents, is so laid back when it comes to releasing paedophiles back into the community, which is exactly what venables is. I have debated this on many forums and it seems to only be here everyone is so lenient.

And yes I do understand then workings of the law and so on, more than some might assume. I also have extensive knowledge of the family backgrounds of Thompson and venables. It hasn't changed my views at all.

[pumpkinsweetie]

What Bran says, he has had his chance, he blew it many times. His chances should now be over, he should remain in prison.

[pumpkinsweetie]

And the costs of him remaining in prison are worth if it stops him harming more children or watching level 5 child porn and maybe worse next time.

People being apologetic of these killers, don't forget they killed a child, not just killed, mutilated too remember that. Remember James, he didn't have a chance at life, they took his away- whether they were 10 or 20 is irrelevent.

[Suzieismyname]

Whether they boys were 10 or 20 is completely relevant to how they should be dealt with.
What they did was abominable. But to suggest that 10/11 year olds should be EXECUTED or locked away forever is abhorrent. This is the 21st century, not the 18th!

[pumpkinsweetie]

They should have been locked away forever, what they did goes beyond evil. 10yo know right from wrong.

You take a life, you should be willing to give your own up.

[TimothyClaypoleLover]

I agree, whether they are 10 or 20 IS relevant.

A 10 year old might not know right from wrong if they are not taught what is right and wrong by their parents.

[Floggingmolly]

Right from wrong, in a general sense, yes. But I can't agree that any 10 year old needed to be taught specifically that mutilating a baby was wrong.
That's inherently evil.

[TimothyClaypoleLover]

They learnt it from somewhere - either watching video nasties/online or from the parents/family. In my experience and opinon children that come from an abusive background become abusive themselves.

[YoungBritishPissArtist]

Just type JV's name into Google and you can easily find his new name and recent photos.

I've a feeling he'll out himself at some point, maybe go to the papers. Like PPs have said, he seems to be self-destructing.

[nennypops]

I completely agree that it is not for Daily Mail readers or MNers or anyone to decide that they know better than the parole board. Not only do we not have the relevant expertise and experience, we haven't seen all the reports that they will have relied on.

I also completely agree that the idea of locking away two 10 year old boys for ever is absolutely horrifying, particularly boys who had had the sort of upbringing these two had. Again, it is ludicrous to generalise about what a 10 year old does or does not know about right and wrong.

What I really hate is the fact that the tabloids make a massive fuss about this not because they actually care but because it sells papers and gets people to click on their website. Every single time they send some reporter off to doorstep Denise Bulger for a quote, and every time it must simply make it more difficult for her to let go and get on with her life - which can only harm her and her other children.

[Chivetalking]

Neither of them served time in an adult prison. I think there would have been less outrage if he'd been perceived to have paid at least some dues.
As it stands he's chucked his good fortune in escaping a tougher environment and his hugely expensive new identity in everyone's faces. I'm not surprised James' parents are incandescent.

I hope this latest move doesn't end in tears but I'm not holding my breath.

[Northernlurker]

A point of order - anybody who thinks that a child who commits a crime (any child at all) should be incarcerated for life is NOT liberal. You cannot describe yourself as 'I'm very liberal but...' and then put that kind of brutality in your sentence. A rethink of your whole philosophical standing is needed.

[SoupDragon]

whether they were 10 or 20 is irrelevent.

Really? You think a 10 year old and a 20 year old have the same level of self awareness etc? That seems pretty stupid to me.