An appeal was launched today to open a new school for bullied children in Liverpool, to carry the name of murder victim James Bulger, who would have celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday, March 16.
His mother, Denise Fergus, has given her full support to the £1m campaign by the Red Balloon charity.
I was covering Liverpool as a reporter for the Press Association when James was abducted and killed by schoolboys Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in 1993, and I went on to write a book about the case, working in co-operation with Denise and her family and the Merseyside Police squad who investigated it. I suppose I can claim to have been as close to that awful tragedy as any journalist could have been.
It goes without saying that it was unbelievably harrowing for James's parents and wider family, and I don't think anyone whose life was touched by the case, however peripherally, was not left deeply affected by it.
When a story becomes as big as this one was, attracting headlines around the world, it never really ends. Years of international legal debate followed the conviction of the killers by an adult court, and then of course there was the controversy surrounding their eventual release back into society. But even when nothing material has happened, there always seems to be another anniversary coming around to remind everyone of the full horror of what happened. Every time, all the terrible memories of those dark days of 1993 come flooding back, even for me.
Sometimes I find it a little disquieting. The anniversary of a notorious murder will not be lost on the relatives of the victim as a time of fresh mourning and deep reflection. What is really served by digging over the coals of the case in the media, other than fuelling our own morbid fascination as a society with such terrible events?
This, however, is different. The 18th birthday of her late son could have been a day for Denise to mourn privately, in which case she should have the right to do so untroubled by the glare of media attention. She has chosen, however, to use the occasion in a powerfully positive way, by utilising the nation's deep and enduring sympathy for what she went through in the loss of her son to create something important and meaningful as a permanent reminder of his life. She hasn't chosen the easiest course, but she has certainly chosen a courageous one. I hope everyone supports her in her aim, and that its outcome is successful.
If you would like to support this appeal, you can send a cheque or postal order payable to Red Balloon James Bulger House Appeal, to Red Balloon James Bulger House Appeal, PO Box 1305, Liverpool, L69 3LB. You can also make a donation via the Red Balloon website, www.redballoonlearner.co.uk
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Anne wrote...
Words fail me when I think of what happened to James.
I can only say that my thoughts will be with Denise and her family on James birthday and that I fully support her aims for the Red Balloon James Bulger House Appeal.
God Bless you Denise.
Posted by: Anne | March 14, 2008 8:45 PM