James Bulger's mum over the moon as public inquiry into murder takes major step

16 February 2024 , 21:41

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James Bulger’s mum Denise Fergus (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

The mother of murdered toddler James Bulger is over the moon that MPs are to debate holding a public inquiry into her son’s death.

Denise Fergus has long been calling for an inquiry into the 1993 killing of her two-year-old son by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, and how the murderers were sentenced. An online petition backing her call gained more than 200,000 signatures.

Now, almost six years after the petition closed, it has been granted a 90-minute House of Commons debate. Denise, 56, said: “This is a momentous move forward for us. We are over the moon.

"For years we have needed answers around what happened in the handling of James’ case and the decision to only give the killers sentences where they served less than eight years in youth offenders institutes – not an adult jail. We have lived with what we feel are injustices for more than 30 years so to have this petition discussed in the Commons with the potential for an inquiry after it, is huge for us.”

James was abducted in February 1993 (PA)

The petition, signed 213,624 times, said: “There have been a number of issues... swept under the carpet. One mystery surrounding the case is why the ‘experts’ insisted that Jon Venables was rehabilitated... It is time to examine all this.”

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James was abducted in February 1993 from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, by 10-year-olds Venables and Thompson, now both 41. His body was found two miles away on a railway line in Walton, Liverpool. The killers served eight years before being released on licence in 2001, aged 18, and given new identities.

Thompson has not reoffended but Venables has twice been returned to prison over child abuse images. Last year Denise opposed his latest bid for freedom and the parole board ruled he was unfit to be released, meaning he will serve at least two more years in jail.

The debate, which Denise is expected to attend, will be opened by Labour’s George Howarth, the MP for Knowsley. She added: “I want to urge MPs to take this seriously, consider the desperate need for an inquiry. It will not bring my James back but it could help save other families going through what I have.”

Paul Byrne