18th Bithday

[jaysay]

Just seen on Northwest News that today would have been murdered toddler James Bulger 18th Birthday. The problem I have with this whole affair is that Thompson and Venables are back out in the community and carrying on with their lives like nothing happened

[panther]

his birthdays on 16 march according to Wikipedia, but cant believe its been 15 years since his death!!

As for them "things".....one day revenge will come for them!!!....I hope!

[grego]

It still makes me go cold when I see the footage of James being led through the shopping centre, it angers me that the boys are now living normal lives too. Its a life sentance for the parents of James.

[panther]

Isnt one of them married now?...and apparently the ' wife ' doesnt even know who he is!!....yeh right

[grego]

I know they have new identities but surely they would still resemble themselves?

[Lilly]

I read a book about the James Bulger case and found it very interesting and informative. Thompson and Venables did not have normal lives, they were latch key kids left to their own devices most of the time and abused by their parents the rest of the time.

It's easy for us to say that we and our children would know right from wrong at 10 years old but those boys had seen and experienced things that others haven't and didn't have normal lives

I'm not excusing what they did and only they know why they did it but surely we have to take their pasts and ages into consideration. I don't think they should have served life in custody although they have had their own life sentences in terms of having to live with their actions and when they have children of their own they will have to live with looking into their child's face and feeling the guilt of the little life that they snuffed out all those years ago. That guilt must be horrendous. That and the constant fear that their identities will be realised in their community.

We have to have faith that they are now rehabilitated and living honest lives.

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by Lilly

I read a book about the James Bulger case and found it very interesting and informative. Thompson and Venables did not have normal lives, they were latch key kids left to their own devices most of the time and abused by their parents the rest of the time.

It's easy for us to say that we and our children would know right from wrong at 10 years old but those boys had seen and experienced things that others haven't and didn't have normal lives

I'm not excusing what they did and only they know why they did it but surely we have to take their pasts and ages into consideration. I don't think they should have served life in custody although they have had their own life sentences in terms of having to live with their actions and when they have children of their own they will have to live with looking into their child's face and feeling the guilt of the little life that they snuffed out all those years ago. That guilt must be horrendous. That and the constant fear that their identities will be realised in their community.

We have to have faith that they are now rehabilitated and living honest lives.

It is easy for us to say that we and our children know right from wrong at age 10, the reason beings is that it’s fact ( unless the 10 year old is mentally impaired ) and that is irrespective of their upbringing. By that age they will have interacted enough with others outside the immediate family to know exactly what is right or wrong.

I think they should still be in custody, receive a damned good thrashing everyday, have some paint poured into their eyes everyday and have a few batteries inserted up their bottoms everyday for good measure.

Hoping that they may have some sense of guilt and that it will affect them in everyday life may give you some sense that justice has been served. Not me.

It was premeditated torture and murder, no more no less.

[cherokee]

Your right panther he would have been 18 this coming sunday accordin to what his mam said on the news earlier. she is trying to get the go ahead for a centre for bullied kids .. good on her .

[cashman]

cannot agree Lilly, dont matter how yer brought up a 10 yr old knows right and wrong. sometimes i think its easy to make excuses for deprived backgrounds,one of me best mates, his dad was a drunken bully,his mum was not very nice either, suffice to say he was dragged up, latchkey,etc, - never been in trouble in his life, it dont work like that.

[garinda]

'Give me a boy until he is seven, and I will give you the man.'

I have a real struggle to believe that a ten year old doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, whatever their background.

I hope Jamie Bulger's killers are tormented for the rest of their days, for the evil they committed.

[ANNE]

Life should mean life. no matter how old they are were when they committed the crime. They knew what they were doing.
This makes me so ANGREY!

[blazey]

I agree with Lilly on this, though I would not excuse them of the crime, they certainly should not have been put in a prison of any sort.

They will most definitely feel shame if not guilt, and that will never leave them even if people don't realise who they are.

I wonder if they still have contact with eachother?

[mani]

apparently they havent been in touch with each other for quite a few years

[blazey]

I find it hard to find emotion for stuff like this, mostly because they're a bit too old to have been in my time, but I have read the law report for this case as I looked at it last year at A level.

When you look at case reports you find it hard to be shocked or show compassion for the people in the cases. It's just completely different to the media. Most likely why I said a long while back that I wouldn't find it difficult to represent someone who is on trial for a serious crime. It's all very objective.

[mani]

i remember quite clearly when it happened all the hype and reporting of it - and then when they got found guilty the same night they screened a documentary of what hapepned. and it transfixed the nation....