Flashback

Albert Kirby, the detective who led the investigation, examines the legacy of James Bulger’s murder in 1993 27 years ago this week

Albert Kirby remembers investigating James Bulger’s murder

I’m now in my mid 70s. Over the years, I’ve travelled all over the world to lecture about the James Bulger case, as well as instructing police officers here in this country who are aspiring to become detectives. I especially focus on the difficulties we had to overcome to ensure that both boys had a fair trial, while protecting their safety.

I still find it emotional giving these presentations, and it usually takes me some days to unwind. So a few years ago I promised myself and my wife that that would be it: I think I’ve done everything I can do to share my experiences, and I am trying, as are James’s family, to put it behind us.

I don’t see the point in regurgitating the details. It concerns me that there’s no account taken of the emotional stress it provokes, not only to the family but those who were witnesses and the police officers who had to deal with the worst crime scene imaginable.

What 1993 did was to highlight the evil that can be perpetrated by young people. Nobody would accept that anyone of that age could possibly be evil. I think that all the work that was done on our side, and by the defence, together with other professional people, has shown that age is no bar to it.

I read these ludicrous arguments that the age of criminal responsibility is too low [it’s 10 in the UK], that we need to put it in line with Europe. Well, you need to go to Europe and speak to the people who actually deal with crime there. It would be a charter for young people to commit crimes knowing that they’re never going to be prosecuted. The system in this country is without doubt the best in the world: we have to show that young offenders knew what they were doing was wrong, and not just a prank that went horribly awry.

I absolutely think [Robert Thompson and Jon Venables] should have been prosecuted, even though they were 10. They knew full well what they were doing. They needed to be prosecuted and put into the care of the local authorities. I think it is an ignorant view for people to say that children shouldn’t be locked up: they’re not locked up and forgotten, they’re not treated like animals, they get more kindness and care and training than they might have done in their own domestic set-up. I take my hat off to the people who work in secure units – they have the most difficult job to set standards for these young people, in the hope that when they come out they can then start to build a decent life. They’ve got one hell of a job to do.

In Thompson and Venables’ case – well, Thompson seems to have made the transition. With Venables, [I feel] the probation service and the parole board went against the advice of those who were close to him. The man was not fit to be released, and that was borne out by his arrest for child pornography offences. They chose to ignore my warnings regarding the sexual nature of James’ murder. That’s all blown up in their faces now.

I would like to think that our experiences in 1993 have gone a long way to ensure young offenders are dealt with in the most caring way possible and that when their trial takes place, the court and those working in it do not appear intimidating to them.

— Interview by Jessamy Calkin

Robert Thompson and Jon Venables photographed at the time of their murder charge