Bulger Killer Venables Is Back Behind Bars

[English Noodles]

One of the killers of toddler James Bulger is back behind bars after breaching the terms of his release from prison.




Jon Venables was 10 when he abucted and murdered James Bulger with Robert Thompson



Jon Venables, 27, was recalled to custody last week after the breach, it is understood.

The convicted murderer was controversially freed under a new identity in 2001.
He was aged just 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted and battered the two-year-old to death in a crime which shocked the world.

Details of Venables' breach have not been released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

An department spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that Jon Venables has been recalled to custody following a breach of licence conditions.

"Offenders on licence are subject to strict conditions; if they breach those conditions they are subject to immediate recall.

"There is a worldwide injunction in place that prohibits any reporting, including reporting on the internet, that could identify him or his location."

Venables and Thompson snatched James from a shopping centre and killed him on a railway line in February 1993.

The toddler's battered body was found by children playing on a freight railway line 200 yards from Walton Lane police station, Liverpool, and more than two miles from the Strand shopping centre.

Both Venables and Thompson were given compulsory life sentences for the murder and remain on licence for the rest of their lives.

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, the probation union, said he suspected details of the recall were made public by the Government after officials became aware that they had leaked to a newspaper or other media outlet.

"The fact that the statement has been put out...does not mean he has been recalled within the last 24 hours," he said.

"It's more likely that information about his whereabouts has leaked and the Ministry of Justice has taken a pro-active step to limit the damage.




James Bulger was snatched from a Liverpool shopping centre




"He will now be in an adult prison somewhere in England and Wales."

Venables will appear before a hearing of the Parole Board within 28 days of being recalled where the details of the breach will be examined, he added.

Barrister and criminal law expert Michael Wolkind QC said he thought there was a "significant chance" the breach had been serious.

He said: "Licence is a means of controlling people once they are released.

"Now this has been publicised, I think there must be a possibility of his new identity being exposed in prison and the inference must be it was a serious breach.

"To go to all the trouble of building him a new identity and a new life, there must be a significant chance it was serious."

Jon Venables One Of James Bulger's Killers Recalled To Jail After Parole Breach | UK News | Sky News

[Davis Knowlton]

Hard to imagine that either of those two little cold-blooded monsters was ever let back on the street. I remember when this happened - absolutely brutal, and for kicks.

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

Children are not supposed to be fully responsible for crimes (certainly at age 10).

So why is this pair so vilified?

The answer is because as a species we are conditioned to perceive children as essentially good. The fact they sometimes aren't leads us to construe that pure evil exists and is not a product of environment.

Hence, these boys are seen as simply evil.

Its quite mediaeval.

[goostewart]

^agree with that. These two who did the killing are guilty, should have been jailed, but they should not have been vilified in the way they were. Their parents/guardians should have been held responsible, possibly with jail terms. They are a product of their environment (unless they had a preexisting psychological sickness).

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

Venables and Thompson make us question our humanity, that there is something irredeemable about their act, (whereas it probably was their environment - too many video games and X rated movies don't help).

Thats why killers who are children get just as bad if not worse a rap than child killers. Their acts make people feel very uneasy at heart.

My sense is they they aren't satan spawn, just obnoxious and violent.

[English Noodles]

Their parents/guardians should have been held responsible

On what charge?

[Jesus Jones]

^ I agree, it's difficult to charge parents for the actions of the children. I do believe though as the poster above has said that society and the things children are exposed to have to share some of that responsibility.

[Jet Gorgon]

I do believe though as the poster above has said that society and the things children are exposed to have to share some of that responsibility.

Perhaps, but I believe that some folks are born without moral concepts. Brain wires are crossed.

[buriramboy]

Their parents/guardians should have been held responsible

On what charge?

Being unfit to breed for starters.

[English Noodles]

^If they were unfit to breed, then this incident would not have happened in the first place.

[Davis Knowlton]

^He said 'unfit', not incapable.

[buriramboy]

^If they were unfit to breed, then this incident would not have happened in the first place.

The problem is if you want to adopt a child for example you have to go through rigorous checks and interviews etc. and by all accounts it is a bit of a nightmare scenario, yet everyone is allowed to breed, so IMO before people should be allowed to breed they should go through the same checks as people do when they want to adopt a child, this would greatly improve the gene pool plus be of huge benefit to the tax payer.

[AntRobertson]

I remember being quite shocked and saddened by the killing at the time and now with toddlers of a similar age myself I find the whole thing has even more resonance.

I think what gets to me most about it all is how easy it was for them to abduct him in the first place. With hindsight, knowing the tragic outcome, there's something very chilling and disturbing to me in the CCTV footage and stills that were released at the time -- images that otherwise appeared to be completely benign.

I don't even want to begin to imagine the grief that his parents must have gone through after such a senseless killing. That's what probably gets me the most, even the idea of being in that position.

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

I also agree with eugenics (though not racially-based eugenics), and a negative selection process for people wanting babies, but realistically its not going to happen. (Though to some extent it did apply with China's 'One child' policy.)

The wrong people are reproducing and our species is being diluted with a knock-on effect on our culture, thought, and social patterns.

Eg: in 500 years times, there won't be libraries, just online forums.

[setaputra]

I also agree with eugenics (though not racially-based eugenics), and a negative selection process for people wanting babies, but realistically its not going to happen. (Though to some extent it did apply with China's 'One child' policy.)

The wrong people are reproducing and our species is being diluted with a knock-on effect on our culture, thought, and social patterns.

Eg: in 500 years times, there won't be libraries, just online forums.

Well, so long as they are not run like Thiavisa's George and his mods we'll be ok.

[FarangRed]

send them to the gallows

[BobR]

Sounds like a witness protection program for criminals. Pure stupidity. Why would the State go though the expense and effort of creating a new identity for this scum?

[superman]

(whereas it probably was their environment - too many video games and X rated movies don't help).

That should explain the actions of Adolf Hitler and Genghis Khan then ?

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

^Well the Fuhrer was arguably the product of received wisdom. He seldom read anything other than pieces of writing that reinforced his own prejudices.

I don't know what shaped and fuelled Genghis Khan's aggression, but being brought up in that Mongol environment 24/7 no doubt was a big part of it.

Were both pure evil - even as kids? Some would like you to think so and that they had no human characteristics at all. Ditto for Venables and Thompson. Yet these boys somehow got perverted somewhere along their way.

[good2bhappy]

sorry but I don't think he should have been let out in the first place

[English Noodles]

It would be interesting to know what the breach of his licence was. They are both on licence until they die.

[JoeMoer]

Would their licence have allowed them to travel abroad?

[buriramboy]

It would be interesting to know what the breach of his licence was. They are both on licence until they die.

just watching 'this morning' and they are saying he was apparantly due to get married and they are specualting as to whether the bride to be knew his past.

[superman]

Would their licence have allowed them to travel abroad?

The licence applies worldwide, so I've read. So "yes" would appear to be the answer.

[English Noodles]

^^Well that is an interesting twist. You sound busy over there by-the-way.