Denise Fergus, the mum of murdered James Bulger, appeared on Good Morning Britain today to talk about her son’s killer Jon Venables’ failed bid for freedom.
Yesterday, the Parole Board ruled Jon remains a danger to children after he was previously released on licence twice but returned to prison when indecent images of children were found on his computer. Denise, who appeared on GMB alongside Chair of the James Bulger Memorial trust, Kym Morris, has fought for justice for James and to keep Venables behind bars for years.
Speaking to hosts Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins, Denise said in her first TV interview since the ruling, “I’m feeling quite numb because I didn’t expect the outcome I got yesterday. It’s taken 30 years to get here.” She added, “I finally now feel I have been listened to. All the promises I got told in the past two or three years have come to light.
“I’m now glad that members of the parliament are now siding with me and understand where exactly I’m going with this and what I’ve said in the past has actually come true because I did say in the very beginning, if those two weren’t properly punished, either one or both of them will go on to reoffend and this is exactly what’s happened.”
On her worry Venables could be released, Denise said, “I’ve had so many sleepless nights over this one again. Because I know for a fact if he was released, we would end up with another case like James’ and that is something I do not want any other family to go through. The news about him not getting released is just such a relief for me and my family and close friends. We still can’t really adjust to what we’ve been told because this is the first time I’ve got something my way.”
Reflecting on the last 30 years, Denise said it’s been an “emotional rollercoaster”.
“Going back to the early days I didn’t think I’d be sitting here 30 years on still fighting for justice for him. It’s been one hell of a bumpy road I’ve been on. I’m hoping now I’m going to get some peace of mind. I’m hoping that this is a bit of justice for James. I’m hoping this is going to continue because I do feel he should never see the light of day again.
“It’s such a horrible situation to be in. It’s a dark cloud to be under and those dark clouds very rarely go away. But now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel and I just hope this light starts getting brighter and brighter.”
Good Morning Britain weekdays from 6am on ITV1 & ITVX. To watch the interview and show in full visit itv.com
