TRIGGER WARNING: This article may be triggering for some readers and mentions the murder of a child and child abuse. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. If you find these topics distressing, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Australian authorities have not confirmed if one of the 10-year-old boys convicted of killing James Bulger is living in Australia and working in childcare.
Days after a relative of Robert Thompson claimed that he was living in Australia as a woman, a spokeswoman for the Australian Federal Police said the force had “no comment” on the matter, as per the Daily Mail.
The original piece with the claims was published by News.com.au on September 8.
On September 11, a spokesperson from the Department of Education said they would need the killer’s new name or location to make any confirmations.
Thompson and Jon Venables were both found guilty of murdering the British toddler and were released with new identities in June 2001, granting them lifetime anonymity.
Bravehearts founder and child protection specialist Hetty Johnston AM said it was crucial for authorities to address it directly.
“It should be easily answered with a no,” she said.
“The fact that it hasn’t been answered is concerning.”
She hoped that the safety of children was prioritised over Thompson’s privacy.
“The first port of call when people or organisations or governments don’t want to tell you stuff is to pull the privacy card,” she said.
“It’s the ace in the deck. Where privacy and the best interests of children collide, the best interests of children must prevail.
“We don’t know whether he’s still a danger to children or not, but that’s irrelevant. We cannot let people hide under privacy if there is a risk that they’re harming kids.”
A spokesman for the Parole Board of England and Wales said that they didn’t comment on “people’s whereabouts once they’ve been released from custody”.
What did Robert Thompson’s relative say?
Initially, Australian private detective Bill Edgar told News.com.au that he was in contact with Thompson’s relative, who he said does not think he should have been released.
“She is very disgruntled about how the whole thing played out and how they got ‘amnesty,’ she calls it,” he said.
“From my investigations, she is in fact a family member, and her information checks out.”
He explained that he was hired by her to expose the truth about her family once she passes away.
“She asked if I would disclose this at her funeral – probably a lot of family won’t turn up. She is the black sheep of the family because she wanted Thompson to stay in prison,” he said.
“If it all works out and I can prove it is all factual, which I think I can, my lawyer tells me I am able to disclose the identity in another country. Personally, I would do it anyway.
“The rest of the family seems to think that because they were kids when they did what they did, they’ve done their time. But it was one of the most bold, horrible crimes, and this lady does not.”
The relative also alleged that he is living in Australia, has a lover, and “transformed into a female”.
What happened to James Bulger?
James was abducted by Thompson and Venables on February 12, 1993, from a Merseyside shopping centre.
CCTV footage revealed that the two-year-old was led away from the centre while his mother was paying for her shopping.
He was then taken to a railway track two-and-a-half miles away and was beaten to death with bricks and a metal bar.
He was also kicked and punched.
His body was found on the track two days later, stripped and with paint in his eyes.
What happened to Robert Thompson and Jon Venables?
Thompson and Venables were initially identified as Child A and Child B after their arrest and during the trial, but their names were released after they were found guilty.
Since his release, Thompson is not known to have reoffended.
Over the years, there has been speculation that he has been living in Australia.
In 2000, The Guardian reported the Home Office considered sending them both to an English-speaking country after their release, such as Canada, New Zealand, or Australia.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Australian High Commission said they should not be allowed to enter because of Australia’s rules prohibiting people with criminal records, who have also served time in prison, from entering.
Six years later, there were reports of Thompson living in the UK with a man, who was reported to know “his true identity”.
Venables returned to prison after child abuse images were discovered on his computer.
According to the BBC, he also violated his parole conditions and visited Merseyside.
In 2013, he was released once again with a new identity, but went back four years later. In 2018, he was sentenced to three years and four months for possessing child abuse images.
The BBC also reported that he applied to be released, which was rejected in 2020.
A bid to be released in December 2023 was also rejected by parole officers, who ruled that he could go on to reoffend and posed a risk to children.
The parole board has confirmed there will be another parole review for him soon.
