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The heartbroken father of murdered boy James Bulger cried as he begged parole officials to keep one of the boy’s killers behind bars.
Ralph Bulger’s life was “destroyed” 30 years ago when two-year-old James was abducted from a Merseyside shopping center by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson on February 12, 1993.
Venables has a parole hearing scheduled for next month and could be free by Christmas. But speaking to TalkTV on Monday, Mr Bulger tearfully pleaded with the Government to keep the killer behind bars, adding that otherwise “the justice system would have failed”.
Mr Bulger, who once tried to challenge a court order granting Venables lifelong anonymity, told Jeremy Kyle and Nicola Thorp that “every child is in danger” if the “time bomb” killer is one day allowed to be released.
Venables has been jailed twice since his release for the murder – he is currently languishing in prison after being recalled for possessing indecent images of children in 2017, for which he was later convicted.
Thompson and Venables tortured two-year-old James (pictured). The brutal attack on the innocent boy included throwing paint in his eyes, throwing stones and bricks at him and dropping an iron bar on his head.
Jon Venables (pictured) could be out by Christmas, as his parole hearing is scheduled for November 14 and 15 this year.
Robert Thompson is not believed to have reoffended since his release from prison in 2001.
This is the second time he has been convicted of possessing child pornography after being convicted in 2010, and he twice spent his 40-month sentence behind cars after his 2020 bid for freedom was denied.
But Venables will try again to be released during a two-day hearing on November 14 and 15.
Mr Bulger said of the killer’s upcoming hearing: “I think you have to do everything you can to try to keep him behind bars, because he has been a danger from day one.”
“He did it again. For me, I think he loves what he does. It’s a time bomb waiting to explode, in my opinion.
He continued: “In my opinion, every child is at risk when they are absent.”
James was just two years old when he was murdered by Thompson and Venables after being snatched from Bootle Strand shopping centre.
The two men were seen by 38 people, including two who wondered if James was okay because he had a bump on his head and was crying.
But Venables and Thompson, who were both 10 at the time, brutally tortured the youngster – throwing paint in his eyes, throwing stones and bricks at him and dropping an iron bar on his head.
They then left his broken body on a train track in a twisted attempt to cover up their crimes.
The names and photographs of both men were released after their convictions – a rare exception for cases involving children.
But upon their release, they were given new identities under a witness protection program that allowed them to receive new passports, Social Security numbers and even altered birth certificates.
Mr Bulger wiped away tears as he told TalkTV his son’s death at the hands of Venables and Thompson “destroyed him”. He implored justice leaders to “keep (Venables) in prison”
The now infamous image of James Bulger being led away from Bootle Strand Shopping Center on February 12, 1993 by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson
A source told the Mail that James’ mother, Denise Fergus, 54, was not informed of the parole hearing date before it appeared in the media. “She is in shock,” they said. Pictured above is James Bulger
James’ mother Denise Fergus, 55, was left “shocked” after a parole hearing deciding Venables’ potential release took place in November.
A global ban remains in effect, preventing media outlets from identifying Venables or Thompson by their new identities.
Thompson is not believed to have reoffended since he was released from prison in 2001. But Mr Bulger called for Venables’ lifetime anonymity order to be lifted after the killer repeatedly reoffended, arguing that the order was only imposed because the two men had been “rehabilitated”. ‘.
But a judge refused his offer in 2019, saying the order prevented Venables from being “put to death” by vigilantes.
Pausing at times as his voice catches and wiping away tears, Mr Bulger told Talk TV that the murder had “destroyed” him and that “keeping him in prison” would give him peace.
He added of the killing: “You kind of have to keep it.” It’s difficult, but it’s something I find that if I stay focused on the work, those memories don’t come back, what happened.
“(I) just take it day by day. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and do your best.
And when asked why he continues to fight, Mr Bulger replied: “It’s for James and to make sure it doesn’t happen again – if there’s anything I can do to stop it happening again , I will do what I can.”
“I do this for families, other lives, so the piles get so big you have to keep it,” adding his frustration with the parole board, “I’ve been fighting this for 30 years and you get nowhere with them.
Of Venables, Ralph continued: “They cannot be rehabilitated. They spent millions on him and it was their little project that went wrong, you know what I mean?
“And that turned out to have gone wrong over the years, just like how he reoffended.” He loves what he does, he loves it.
“All the ups and downs, he wants to have another child. This is what I feel deeply.
TalkTV host Jeremy Kyle urged Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to keep Venables locked up, adding: “I wish someone… would explain (why) this victim’s father has to come into a television show to prove… that this man should stay behind bars.
Venables was initially sentenced to imprisonment “at Her Majesty’s pleasure” – essentially, for an indefinite period.
Kyle concluded the interview by asking Mr. Bulger, “Should life mean life?”
Ralph replied, “Yes. Certainly. For something like this.
Mr Bulger’s calls for Venables to remain locked up come after James’ mother Denise Fergus was said to have been “shocked” by the news of his latest parole hearing.
She previously said: “I have no doubt he would kill another child if released. »