The mother of James Bulger has today called for a public inquiry into the decision to free her son's killer Jon Venables after just eight years in prison.
Denise Fergus wants a public inquiry into exactly what the parole board knew when they freed Venables and says she only learnt of the full extent of the sexual injuries he suffered this week, after years of being unable to face the full horror of what happened to James.
She is demanding to know if officials who rubber-stamped the original 2001 release had considered evidence two-year-old James was sexually assaulted before his death.
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Her calls for a public inquiry were last week rejected by the government on the 25th anniversary of James' death - but she is pleading for a U-turn to get justice for James.
Denise is urging people to continue to support her and keep signing the petition that has been set up calling for the inquiry.
More than 190,000 people have signed a petition backing the call for a public inquiry at a time when the parole board comes under increasing scrutiny over decisions to release violent criminals.
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Denise Fergus believes the parole board were not in full possession of the facts surrounding Jon Venables when they decided to release him in 2001 and again in 2013.
Venables has persistently re-offended, and the sexual nature of his subsequent crimes - he is currently imprisoned on child porn offences - leads Fergus to believe that he cannot be considered rehabilitated.
Denise said: "I have always said I didn't want to know the full details of about the sexual abuse on my son and only found out the true extent of what they did this week.
"After I had learned this week, via social media, that the Government had turned down our request for a public inquiry I felt backed into a corner so I asked the relevant people to tell me everything because I need to know now, which was totally heart-breaking.
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"Releasing Venables was massive mistake. Both of them should have served time in an adult prison. I want to know on what basis the parole board considered they were rehabilitated."
Denise's solicitor Sean Sexton has put together 14 questions that he says have remained unaswered by the authorities many of them centred around the parole board decision to release Venables in 2001.
Mr Sexton said: "The conviction of Venables in 2010 for possession of extreme pornography (images of penetrative sex involving children as young as seven or eight) proves that Venables had an interest in child sexuality years before it was discovered by the authorities.
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"How was that sexual interest in children missed by all the experts?"
Last night, Labour MP George Howarth, who has worked with the Bulger family on the case and is Denise's MP, said there were still questions to be answered.
Howarth said: "It is difficult to know to know the real reasons why the government has declined to hold a public inquiry.
"Whatever the government's reasons, however, the important thing is to get answers to the legitimate questions that have been raised by Denise."
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"It is, for me, a matter of great concern that the victims are given proper information and consideration by the relevant authorities. I am not opposed to a public inquiry but in advance of any parliamentary debate, which I am certainly willing to take part in, the 14 questions raised by Denise's solicitor need to be cleared up.
"The family need responses from the Justice Secretary and other relevant agencies."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News, jon venables