The mother of murdered toddler James Bulger is preparing for yet another confrontation with the legal system… during the month when her son would have turned 21.
Denise Fergus, along with her family, commemorated James’s tragically brief life with a modest champagne tribute at his grave.
Following this, she will persist in her efforts to prevent the early release of one of his murderers, Jon Venables, who is serving a two-year sentence for child pornography offenses.
Denise shared, “James’s birthday will be a challenging time for all of us. Who knows the path he might have taken if he were still here. He could have had his own family by now. I might have become a grandmother, or he may have gone to university. I will never know.”
The ongoing legal struggle has compelled Denise, 42, to revisit the trauma of James’s 1993 murder.
At just two years old, James was abducted from a shopping center in Merseyside (Liverpool, England) and brutally killed by Venables and his malevolent accomplice, Robert Thompson, who were both ten years old at the time.
They were granted new identities and released in 2001, but Venables was imprisoned again last year.
Denise has provided a poignant victim impact statement to the Parole Board, which is due to review Venables’s release within the next week or so.
In her statement, she emphasized the profound impact the murder continues to have on her and her three other sons: Michael, 17, Thomas, 13, and Leon, 12.
She remarked, “Not a day goes by without us talking about him. It’s only when I observe my other boys growing up that I can envision James aging as well.”
However, Denise was shocked to find out that Venables, now 28, would be permitted to read her statement.
She expressed, “It was never intended for his evil, murderous gaze. I want to keep him oblivious to how deeply he has affected my family, particularly my children. Not only does he know what I look like, where I live, and how many kids I have, but he also has insight into my thoughts.”
Denise is now determined to advocate for victims to have the ability to prevent offenders from accessing victim impact statements.
Additionally, she has established a new charity, The James Bulger Memorial Trust, aimed at assisting young victims of crime and rewarding well-behaved children.
She added, “I made a promise to James when he passed that I would fight for justice… and this is a commitment I will continue to uphold.”
This situation is horrendous, and it’s unimaginable what Denise Fergus is enduring. It’s difficult to discuss, as it’s deeply distressing. If you’re curious about the actions of those two disturbed ten-year-olds, you can find some footage of them luring little James out of a shopping center. They had premeditated the entire ordeal. Then they led him to a train track… and the atrocities committed before tying him down for the train to run over him are… simply horrifying.
Ten-year-olds with such twisted minds, more troubled than Manson, should have never been allowed back into society. Re-establishing the death penalty… perhaps that’s not such an unreasonable idea.
While I acknowledge this issue is occurring on the other side of the world, it’s relevant here as well.
And if you prefer to disregard this, reconsider. There are strong rumors… credible sources indicate that Venables has been living in our great country. It’s a large enough place to blend into a small town. Moreover, these rumors come from a very reliable source in Australia. There’s also some indication he has traveled to New Zealand and might return there.
This underscores why we should rally behind Denise… or anyone standing up to ensure these depraved individuals remain incarcerated or face the death penalty.
Let’s be honest… these offenders are likely to reoffend… and by keeping them locked up, it’s our money that goes toward feeding them each day.
Reflect on that every time a convicted murderer or child molester is sentenced… the punishment often pales in comparison to true justice.
by Sel Hurst
