Justice

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2004
Justice
11
Sun, 09-25-2005 - 3:59pm

A few days ago one of those forwarded e-mails asking you to send it to everyone you know plus it gave the e-mail address of I think some politician or official of some kind was sent to me by a very good friend of mine. It talked about the murder of little James Bulger 12 years ago. I think it made international news but for those who maybe haven't heard of it, James aged 2 was in a shop with his mum. While she was distracted for a minute James walked out of the shop where he was abducted, tortured and murdered by two 10 year old boys. This took place in my local area so I remember well the outrage and the total disbelief that two boys so young were capable of such an atrocity. The two boys were arrested and served 'prison' sentances and have since been released, given new identities and started new lives in Australia. The e-mail was in protest that these boys had been given a second chance. I deleted it straight away without forwarding it on but it set me wondering about how I would feel if I known or been related to James.

Do you think that it was right to give these two boys a second chance or do you think that what they did deserves punishment for their rest of their lives?

I'd be interested to know what others thoughts are on this or similar situations.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2004
Tue, 09-27-2005 - 2:12pm

I assume that they went to Australia because if they had been released anywhere in this country their identies would have been known very quickly. Regardless of the passing of time I think that their faces would have been recognised. I think there may be websites where even now there are people that are looking for them, certainly I remember hearing about these being set up should they ever be released. I don't know how they come to get new identities. We have different laws here to the US, but I think it was merely thought that without them they would be tracked down and suffer reprisals and probably worse no matter where they were in the world. Feelings of outrage towards these boys is still very prevalent today. Australian officials who are probably assigned to protect their identities will have been given all the facts and presumably the Australian government agreed to accommodate them.

~Carol~

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