The Brutal Crime Of The Youngest Murderers In British History Shocked The Nation

The murder of a small child is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all crimes. Who could take the life of someone so innocent, trusting, and defenseless? But when the murder is perpetrated by another child, it can muddy the waters about how justice is best served. The prosecution of juvenile offenders, particularly those who aren't even in their teens yet, brings up interesting questions. Should they be tried as adults? Are they able to be reformed? Can an offender so young truly be responsible for their actions? 

While these questions will bring out impassioned responses from many people, it should be known that even experts in the law and psychiatry have varied answers. With so few cases involving young children committing murder, it can make it difficult to craft a hard and fast rule on these extremely rare types of offenders. Though an aberration among even the most troublesome of juvenile offenders, when monstrous behavior is carried out from the body of a child, it's bound to make people wonder exactly what went wrong.

In what could be described as one of the most disturbing juvenile crimes of the 20th century, two 10-year-old boys from Liverpool, England viciously murdered a 2-year-old child (via Liverpool Echo). Their arrest, trial, and incarceration still spark heated debate on the criminal justice system's handling of youth offenders.

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One month shy of his third birthday, James Bulger was murdered by Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. Bulger was with his mother on the afternoon of his death, shopping at the Strand mall in Bootle, Merseyside (via BBC). She took her eyes off her toddler for only a few moments, but that was all the time it took for Bulger to wander into the clutches of two 10-year-old boys who were cutting class that day.

Thompson and Venables had been lurking in the mall, trying to identify a small child that they could abduct. Police would later say that they intended to lure a toddler away and push them in front of an oncoming train (per the North-West Evening Mail). After spending part of the day there, the two boys found luck with Bulger. Seeing that there was no parent in sight, they approached the 2-year-old. Closed-circuit cameras recorded the trusting child taking the hands of his abductors, who then led the child on a long walk to his death (via CNN).

Two days later, two young boys found Bulger's body (via Liverpool Echo). The autopsy would reveal that Bulger had been bludgeoned to death by his abductors, who then abandoned his body on a set of railroad tracks in Liverpool, more than 2 miles from the shopping mall (per CNN). How could Thompson and Venables walk so far with a toddler in tow without being noticed? An investigation would show that many eyewitnesses saw the three on their trek.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

The 2.5-mile journey from the Strand shopping center to the murder site was done on foot. During that long walk, the boys were seen by dozens of witnesses, many of whom came forward later and said that something didn't feel right about the situation. The Guardian reports that many of these eyewitnesses would later testify in court against Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. One witness, Kathleen Richardson, saw the two older boys appearing to treat James Bulger roughly. She was riding on a bus at the time, which had slowed down at a roundabout where the boys were crossing. 

Another witness was a delivery driver who saw Thompson and Venables dragging Bulger by his arms, the toddler's legs trying to "dig in" to the earth to avoid being moved. Mark Pimblett told the court that as he passed by, he looked back and saw one of the older boys appear to kick the toddler just below one of his arms in what looked like an attempt to get him to move along. Elsewhere, Lorna Brown broke down in tears during her testimony. She recalled seeing the three boys that afternoon and was troubled when she saw that Bulger had a slight injury to his forehead. Witness Malcolm Walton testified that he saw Bulger "crying his eyes out" not far from the Strand while he was being led away. This coincides with the recollection of Pauline Murphy, who said she noticed Bulger trying to run away from Thompson and Venables, only to have his arm grabbed and secured by one of the boys. 

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

The discovery of James Bulger's body stunned the community. Who could commit such a savage act on a child? Police combed through hours of camera footage from the Strand and discovered two young boys leading Bulger away from the shopping center. They were unsure of the ages of his abductors and would later be shocked to find out that they were only 10. This break in the case was made possible by the authorities releasing images of the camera footage. One viewer recognized Jon Venables from the footage aired on the news and alerted the police (via i News).

Police took Robert Thompson and Venables in for questioning. It didn't take long for one of them to break down and confess. Venables is reported to have told police (per All That's Interesting), "I did kill him. What about his mum? Will you tell her I'm sorry?" Blood that was found on one of the boys' shoes was also matched to Bulger with DNA testing (via The Guardian). Thompson and Venables were put on trial as Child A and Child B to protect their identities during the court proceedings (via CNN). BBC News reports that the boys, now 11 years old, were given a public trial in an adult courtroom. Separated from their parents and too small for their seats, they were forced to be elevated so that they could see the rest of the courtroom in front of them.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Neither Robert Thompson nor Jon Venables testified at the November 1993 trial. The prosecution played hours of conversations between each suspect and the police, showed close circuit camera footage of them leading James Bulger out of the shopping mall, and heard from almost 40 eyewitnesses who recalled seeing Bulger walking along the route between the Strand and the railroad tracks where his body was found (via Crime + Investigation). These bits of evidence, combined with DNA matches and Venables' admission to the police, should have been more than enough to secure a guilty verdict from the jury.

But police and prosecutors knew that for the jury to come back with anything more than a manslaughter verdict, the case would have to be made that both Thompson and Venables knew right from wrong so that they could be considered culpable. Ultimately, the jury concluded that there was evidence to prove that Thompson and Venables abducted and killed James Bulger. They further decided that both boys were guilty of murder. Due to their ages, they faced only a minimum of eight years behind bars in juvenile facilities. CNN reports that various judges over the next several years increased the minimum time from eight years to 10, and finally 15 before a final ruling returned it to eight. While incarcerated, both Thompson and Venables excelled in their academics, learned various trades, and accepted responsibility for their horrific crimes (via CNN). 

Both offenders were released in 2001 after they turned 18 and were given new identities. As time went on, one of them continued to make the news.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Robert Thompson is still living under an assumed name. TheNetline reports that he is in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. The outlet revealed that Thompson has integrated back into society and has not reoffended. Conversely, Jon Venables has not had the same trajectory post-confinement as his partner in the 1993 murder. In 2008, he was involved in a bar fight that led to him being ordered to attend classes for alcohol awareness. He was also picked up by police shortly afterward for possession of cocaine. 

The Daily Mail gives more sinister offenses committed by Venables than just fighting and drug use. When a probation officer visited his home in 2010, he observed that Venables had been trying to destroy the hard drive of his computer. Police later retrieved dozens of images of children being abused from that drive, which Venables had downloaded. Venables was sent to prison for the offenses, this time under a brand-new alias. Shortly after his release, he was arrested for the possession of child pornography. The Daily Mirror reports that he was sentenced to 40 months behind bars. Though he was eligible for parole in 2020, Venables pleaded with the parole board to not release him, as he feared that he would re-offend (via The Sun). After being denied parole that year, he is positioning himself to be released soon. Claiming he is ready to be integrated back into society, Venables will face the parole board once again in early 2023 (via the Daily Mail).

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.