Venables is back inside

At 10 years of age, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were the youngest murderers in modern British criminal history when they abducted and murdered two year old James Bulger in 1993.

Now, Venables has been put back behind bars at the age of 27, after breaching the terms of his release from prison in 2001.

How must the two young men have felt when they were released on life licence back into the real world at 18? Even with new names, addresses, national insurance numbers and a worldwide ban preventing the publication of any information that may identify them, they must still have feared being recognised.

In fact, Venables was reportedly paranoid that someone would try to attack him before his release whilst he resided in a secure children’s home.

However alongside rumours that Venables was petrified of being uncovered are now rumours that on his release in 2001 he went around telling people who he really was.

Of course, even if this isn’t true, the chances of Venables’ true identity being revealed is much higher now that he has returned to prison. After all, how hard can it be for the other prisoners to identify a 27 year old man who is in for breaking his parole conditions?

Laurence Lee, Venables’ former solicitor has said that he is surprised that Venables has been recalled to prison as he thought that, of the two boys, Venables was the less likely to re-offend.

After his conviction, Venables reportedly went on to gain six GCSEs and was apparently allowed to join the army. What baffles me is the reports that he was employed as a bouncer. Surely bouncers have to go through some sort of training – perhaps not the sort of training we would want someone convicted of murder to receive!

Venables and Thompson were given their new identities aged 18. I was ok with this. Someone of course should have been keeping on eye on them (i.e. not allowed them to be employed as a bouncer!!) but the anonymity was granted to protect them as they were only children at the time. I was willing to give them a chance, to lead an adult life separated from their childhood. However, according to a YouGov poll last week, 67% of the population think that Venables and Thompson should never have been released.

What I’m not so sure if I’m ok with is whether or not Venables should be able to keep his new identity now that he has broken the terms of his licence. He was given a chance to lead a normal life but went against the conditions. I don’t think that he deserves anonymity any longer and I think that we have a right to know exactly what he has done to break the terms of his parole for our own safety if nothing else.