Bulger killer Venables may not be prosecuted for parole breach

By Kunal Dutta

Monday 15 March 2010

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Speculation was growing last night that James Bulger killer Jon Venables will escape prosecution for the parole breach which landed him back in jail.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw is being pushed by senior advisers to take the "easier option" of leaving the case in the hands of parole chiefs to stop "lurid details coming out in full Technicolor" should he appear in court, the News of the World reported. Ministry sources said "no decision has been made".

James's mother, Denise Fergus called for the Children's Commissioner to be sacked for "twisted and insensitive" comments about the murder of her two-year-old. Dr Maggie Atkinson said his killers should never have been prosecuted because they were too young at 10 to understand the full consequences of their actions.

The Government has ruled out Dr Atkinson's proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years, saying children aged 10 and over did know the difference between "bad behaviour and serious wrongdoing".

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