Ralph Bulger, the father of murdered toddler James Bulger, has lost a legal bid to lift a lifelong anonymity order protecting one of his son's killers, Jon Venables. The order prevents the disclosure of Venables' new identity, which he was granted after being released on licence for the 1993 murder.
The challenge was brought after Venables was jailed last year for possessing child abuse images and a paedophile manual. Mr Bulger and James' uncle, Jimmy, argued that information about Venables, including his former addresses and prison details, was already widely available online and should not be covered by the injunction.
However, Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division, refused to vary the order, stating there was a strong possibility that revealing Venables' identity would lead to him being pursued, with “grave and possibly fatal consequences”. He added that the case for varying the injunction had “simply not been made”.
James' mother, Denise Fergus, did not support the legal battle, saying she did not want the killers dead but wanted them to serve proper prison time. Outside court, solicitor-advocate Robin Makin, representing the Bulgers, said the authorities seemed “hell-bent on protecting [Venables] regardless of the risk to others”. Sir Andrew refused permission to appeal, but Mr Makin said the family may consider a challenge at the Court of Appeal.
