The Sleep of Reason: The James Bulger Case

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a b Siddique, Haroon (3 March 2010). "James Bulger killing: the case history of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013 . Retrieved 15 April 2023. Williams, Zoe. " Jon Venables: how attitudes towards criminality have changed and hardened." The Guardian. 5 July 2013.

Jamieson, Alastair (7 March 2010). "James Bulger killer Jon Venables 'accused of child porn offences' ". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010 . Retrieved 7 March 2010. On 14 March 2008, an appeal to set up a Red Balloon Learner Centre in Merseyside in memory of James Bulger was launched by his mother and Esther Rantzen. [80] [81] A memorial garden in Bulger's memory was created in Sacred Heart Primary School in his hometown of Kirkby, the school he would have been expected to attend had he not been murdered. [9] In March 2010, a call was made by England's Children's commissioner Maggie Atkinson to raise the age of criminal responsibility from ten to twelve. She said that the killers of James Bulger should have undergone "programmes" to help turn their lives around, rather than being prosecuted. The Ministry of Justice rejected the call, saying that children over the age of ten knew the difference "between bad behaviour and serious wrongdoing". [82] Towards the end of this book the author tries to fathom intent. Surely this is the heart of the matter. When they lured James away what was their intention? Smith says :The horrific murder of James bulger is one of those events that stands out in human history and author is wrong when he states there is no such thing as evil people the darkness that exists in this world was strong the day these too no doubt budding psychopaths met each other. The inhumanity these two monsters showed to James bulger is the definition of evil and can’t be explained away by a subpar childhood. James Bulger's killer Jon Venables could get second new identity after pictures leaked on internet". Liverpool Echo. 4 May 2011. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012 . Retrieved 4 May 2011.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle on 12 February 1993 showed Thompson and Venables casually observing children, apparently selecting a target. [8] The boys were playing truant from their local primary school, which they did regularly. [9] Throughout the day, Thompson and Venables were seen shoplifting various items, including sweets, batteries, a troll doll, and a can of blue Humbrol modelling paint. [10] One of the boys later revealed that they were planning to abduct a child, lead him to the busy road alongside the shopping centre, and push him into the oncoming traffic. [11] He proves that child murderers are not as unique as we believe by citing historical cases from Victorian times to present day, 1992. This was really an area I knew nothing about so was surprising. The actual abduction of James is chilling. It is very hard to read but the research and detail makes this book skip along at a fast pace.

In 1993, two 10-year-old boys tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. Largely this book is a recollection of events from the day that two year old James Bulger was abducted and killed by two ten year olds, Jon Venables and Bobby Thompson, starting with the two older boys 'sagging' school and ending with them returning home in the evening, their crime undetected. Details of the discovery of James, the investigation and the trial follow. These details will be familiar to anyone who has seen media coverage of the case.