James Bulger’s mum, Denise Fergus, has made a heartfelt plea to MPs, asking them to “stand with me” because she will “never stop fighting for” justice for her little boy.
Denise spoke about the “so many unanswered questions” that still “haunt” her regarding the tragic loss of her son. She was speaking out as she joined a debate in Parliament about whether there should be a public inquiry into the case of James’s murder.
She has been very open about her feelings on how the murder of her two-year-old son by ten-year-olds Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in February 1993 was handled.
Now, she wants an inquiry to look into what the people in charge knew when they let the boys out of jail in 2001 and if they could have stopped Venables from offending again.
Labour MP Jess Phillips read out Denise’s words to the MPs: “I am present today as the mother whose heart has been shattered and whose life has been forever dark after the loss of my dear son, James. For over 30 years, I have carried the unbearable weight of his absence, a void that can never be filled, a pain that never subsides… I am here to say I will never stop fighting for James. He cannot stand up for himself. So it is my duty as his mother to be his voice, his champion.”, reports the Mirror.
Denise pleaded with MPs to “stand with me to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated”, explaining: “No parent should endure what I have. A loss of a child is an unspeakable tragedy.”
She continued: “There are so many unanswered questions that haunt me. Why were critical aspects of my son’s case overlooked? Why did it seem as though the most damning evidence was swept aside? “.
The missing pieces in the evidence collected by the police regarding Thompson and Venables’ sexual assault on James before they killed him became a point of concern. The lack of presentation at the trial, as well as to the parole board when Venables was discharged in 2001 and 2013 prompted many questions.
Venables reoffended twice over child abuse images and Denise has campaigned to keep him in jail.
However, even though the parole board deemed him unfit for release last year, there have been concerns about why he was released initially.
Labour MP for Wavertree Paula Barker said it was “unbelievably cruel” James’s family is having to still fight for justice as she said it was “staggering” to deny them a public inquiry. She voiced her support for a public inquiry, condemning those who argue against it saying: “I support a public inquiry. Those in power toss out the usual lines: ‘It’s too expensive, time-consuming and resource intensive. There’s nothing to see here,'” she stated.
Shadow Minister for Courts Alex Cunningham described the crimes committed as “absolutely horrifying” and said it was “impossible” to imagine “the pain, suffering and trauma” the family have had to endure. He questioned how decisions were made about the release of Venables on multiple occasions.
“We have long been concerned on the side of the house about the gaps in our criminal justice system which means that dangerous offenders are being released,” he added. “This poses a huge risk to public safety and undermines faith and confidence in our justice system.”
Justice Minister Edward Argar paid tribute to Ms Fergus and her family’s “tireless and dignified campaign to obtain justice for her son James”. “The murder of James was a crime which rightly shocked the nation and continues to do so,” he said.
However, he confirmed there would be no public inquiry into the case. “While I do fully appreciate the significant concerns which have been expressed, and indeed the strength and sincerity of the feelings on this issue, I’m afraid I’m not in a position today to announce a public inquiry,” he said.
Mr Argar also confirmed Venable’s sexual interest in young children was not logged on his files until after he was recalled to prison in 2010. “My understanding is that prior to his recall in connection with possessing illegal images of children in 2010, the supervising agencies were not aware of Venables’ sexual interest in children,” he said.
Denise said: “For the first time, a member of government confirmed there was no reference on Jon Venables record to his sexual interest in young children until he reoffended in 2010. This is despite the justice system knowing this in 1993. Surely Venables’ reoffending would have been prevented if this had to be included in his sentencing at the time of James’ murder.”
She added: “We are disappointed that the minister Ed Argar deemed that a public inquiry would not be possible. We still believe it is still essential to establish James’ truth.”
She welcomed the “minister’s openness to discuss the potential for a review that would cover failings from 2010 onwards” despite not announcing a public inquiry.
James was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. His body was found two miles away on a railway line in Walton, Liverpool.
The 10 year old killers served eight years in a young offenders’ institute before being released on licence in 2001.
