The horrific murder of two-year-old James Bulger in 1993 by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, remains one of the UK's most harrowing crimes. Released with new identities in 2001, their lives have since diverged dramatically. While Venables faces a crucial parole hearing after being jailed twice more, the secret life of Robert Thompson reveals a starkly different story.
A Life Forged in Secrecy and Rehabilitation
Robert Thompson, now 43, was freed on licence in June 2001 at the age of 18, after spending eight years in a young offenders institution. His release followed rigorous rehabilitation and a six-month assessment which concluded he and Venables no longer posed a public danger. Unlike his accomplice, Thompson has not been known to reoffend in the over two decades since.
Upon his release, Thompson was banned from entering Merseyside and granted a costly new identity, with reports suggesting the process for both killers cost £1.5 million. He reportedly went on to achieve five GCSEs, complete A-Levels, and develop a strong interest in art, building a life away from the public eye.
Expressions of Remorse and a Stable Relationship
In a parole board statement made public in 2018, Thompson expressed deep shame and remorse for his role in the murder. "I am desperately sorry for what I did, and aware of the enormity of what I did," he stated. He described his younger self as "completely out of control" and acknowledged the bitter irony that his detention had given him a "better life and a better education".
By 2006, it was reported that Thompson had settled into a stable, long-term relationship with a man who was believed to be aware of his true identity. This contrasts sharply with the ongoing legal troubles of Jon Venables, who was incarcerated again in 2010 and 2017 for possession of indecent images of children.
Venables' Parole Hearing and a Mother's Anguish
The case is back in the headlines as Jon Venables prepares for a crunch parole board showdown expected within the next month. This follows an initial parole rejection last month and represents a fresh blow for James Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus.
In an unprecedented move, Denise has been granted permission to observe the hearing. She will hear Venables' voice for the first time in years, though his face will be obscured to protect his identity. James's father, Ralph Bulger, has previously dismissed Thompson's words of remorse as "false", stating he would never accept either killer was truly sorry.
The enduring legacy of the crime continues to unfold on two separate paths: one marked by repeated offending and parole battles, and the other, Thompson's, defined by an anonymous life and claimed rehabilitation, forever shadowed by the act he committed as a ten-year-old boy on February 12, 1993.
