THE VENABLES BOY IS BACK

The Venables boy is back in the news this morning, having been returned to prison after breaching a number of conditions concerning his release.

Everyone in Britain knows the names Robert Thomson and Jon Venables.  When they are mentioned, people experience a frisson of dread in the pit of their stomach, a weird primeval reaction to the boys who committed an unnatural act - that of torturing and killing another child.

In order not to have 3 childrens' lives ruined,  Thomson and Venables were given the chance of rehabilitation and released when they were 18 with various conditions attached.

Now the press are screaming and bawling for explanations.  There will be various "I told you so"s.  It does not help that a policeman involved in the case described the 2 boys as "evil".  James Bulger's mother is eaten up with anger and hatred and wants to know the truth.

Children killing children is, mercifully,  very rare.  This in particular, is a unique case.  Emotions run high.  Knee-jerk reactions are everywhere.  We do not have enough experience or understanding of why certain children do this.  There are only 2 options at present: lock them up and throw away the key, or try our hardest to rehabilitate the offenders.  Thank God hanging has been abolished...

Until the facts are in concerning just what Jon Venables, under his new identity, has been getting up to, any "I told you so" or bawling for blood are highly premature.  

Watch this space...