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'THEY NEVER GOT PUNISHED'

James Bulger’s killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables ‘were REWARDED with cushy jail time and anonymity for life’

Denise Fergus said her son's killers were never punished for their crimes

JAMES Bulger's mum has said her son's killers were rewarded for their horrific crimes with cushy jail time and anonymity for life.

Denise Fergus made the comments to Sir Trevor MacDonald in a new documentary about the case on ITV.

 Denise Fergus said her son's killers were never punished for their crimes
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Denise Fergus said her son's killers were never punished for their crimesCredit: ITV

She said Jon Venables and Robert Thompson never received justice for killing the toddler in Liverpool in 1993.

Denise said: “They never got punished for what they did to my son. In fact, if anything, they were rewarded.”

She added: “No one expects two ten-year-old boys to take a child and do what they done.

“It’s just beyond words how two ten-year-olds could be so evil.”

 Jon Venables is pictured after being arrested for the brutal 1993 killing in Liverpool
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Jon Venables is pictured after being arrested for the brutal 1993 killing in LiverpoolCredit: PA:Press Association
 Robert Thompson was jailed for just eight years before being given a new life
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Robert Thompson was jailed for just eight years before being given a new lifeCredit: BWP Media

Denise also showed Sir Trevor around her home, which is filled with reminders of the tot.

She said: "James is never far from conversation anyway, whether it's Christmas or not.

"That's why he's still here. I always say that the day I stop speaking about him is the day I join him."

She added: "He'll always be with me."

She also relived the moment she lost him in a Liverpool shopping centre after letting go of his hand to pay in a shop.

 James Bulger's mum shows Trevor MacDonald the place she still sets for her son
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James Bulger's mum shows Trevor MacDonald the place she still sets for her sonCredit: ITV
Denise Fergus ​​shows previously unseen family photos of her murdered two-year-old son for a new documentary ​'​James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald​'​
 James Bulger's mum Denise speaks to Sir Trevor McDonald in a documentary
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James Bulger's mum Denise speaks to Sir Trevor McDonald in a documentaryCredit: ITV

She recalled: “He was out of his buggy – James was never out of his buggy so he felt a bit of freedom.

“I let go of his hand just for a moment to get my purse out of my bag.”

Denise told how she ran from shop to shop asking people if they had seen her little boy.

She said: "I was that distraught that one of the staff said to me calm down come and have a cup of coffee and I said to him a cup of coffee isn’t going to help me get my son back."

 Jamie Bulger was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-olds in 1993
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Jamie Bulger was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-olds in 1993Credit: PA:Press Association

Denise invited Sir Trevor McDonald into her home, where she discussed the case of her young son James' horrific murder.

In the deeply personal interview Denise opened up - not only about the day that changed her life forever - but about the eternity of a mother’s love.

Sharing memories, family photos and videos, Denise remembered James fondly as "so loving - he was always laughing".

She added: "He loved listening to music. He was just a lovely little boy."

She also told of her anger at the sentence her son’s killers received and the painful years she’s spent fighting for the justice she feels James has never had.

As well as featuring Denise’s full and frank testimony, Trevor spoke to key figures in Liverpool to gain a vivid insight into a case that continues to raise so many troubling questions.

In February 1993, two-year-old James was abducted from a shopping centre in Liverpool and brutally murdered.

The culprits were two ten-year-old boys - Jon Venables and Robert Thompson - who were sentenced to just eight years for the crime.

They were also granted anonymity once they were released, meaning the public would never know who they are.

Crime & Punishment season continues on ITV as Trevor McDonald meets Denise Fergus, the mother of James Bulger


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