32 Years of Heartbreak and Fury: James Bulger’s Mother Vows to Keep Fighting for Change After Son’s Mu-rder Shattered a Nation
It has been 32 years since the horrific day in 1993 when two-year-old James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool, tortured, and murdered by two 10-year-old boys — Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. The crime shocked Britain, scarred a generation, and remains one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.
And yet, more than three decades on, Denise Fergus, James’s mother, refuses to let her son’s name fade into silence. In a powerful new statement, she vowed to continue her relentless fight for change — to ensure that James’s tragic death will never be forgotten, and that the justice system is forced to answer for its failures.
A Mother’s Agony That Never Ends
“People think time heals, but it doesn’t,” Denise said. “James should be a grown man now, maybe with children of his own. Instead, I’m left with memories of a little boy stolen from me in the cruellest way imaginable.”
For 32 years, Denise has carried the unimaginable weight of grief while battling for reforms in Britain’s criminal justice system. Her anger remains focused on how Venables and Thompson were treated — given new identities, released under strict anonymity orders, and, in Venables’ case, repeatedly re-arrested for child abuse images.
“They were called children when they murdered James, but my James was only two. He never got the chance to grow up, and they were given new lives,” she said bitterly.
The Fight for Change
Denise has never stopped campaigning. She has spoken in Parliament, challenged parole hearings, and called for tougher sentences and greater transparency when it comes to child killers.
Her most pressing demand: that Venables — whose repeated re-offending has reignited outrage across the country — must never be allowed to walk free again.
“I will fight until my last breath to keep him behind bars,” she vowed. “He is dangerous and he always will be.”
A Nation Still Haunted
The name James Bulger still chills Britain. The grainy CCTV footage of the toddler being led away by two boys in oversized jackets is one of the most haunting images in British crime history. For many, it symbolises innocence betrayed — a nation’s faith in justice forever shaken.
Each anniversary reopens old wounds, not just for the Bulger family, but for the millions who remember where they were when the case first broke. Social media is once again flooded with messages of support:
“32 years and still no justice. Denise is a hero for never giving up.”
“James’s memory must be a warning — we can’t forget, and we can’t forgive.”
A Promise Carved in Pain
Denise Fergus has become more than a grieving mother — she has become a symbol of resistance against a system that many believe prioritised the killers over their victim.
Her words, spoken 32 years later, still burn with the same fury:
“I will never stop. James’s story will not die with him. I’ll fight until there’s change.”
And so, as Britain marks another painful anniversary, one thing is certain: James Bulger’s memory will never fade — because his mother will never let it.