Defiant Straw refuses plea by Bulger mother

Justice Secretary Jack Straw yesterday defied calls by the mother of James Bulger for more details about why his killer is back in prison.

Mr Straw defended the need for secrecy hours after Denise Fergus made a public plea to know why Jon Venables was recalled to jail.

Speaking on TV, she accused the UK Government of treating the issue like a political football and of closing doors in her face.

But in a Commons statement Mr Straw said releasing further information was “not in the interests of justice” because it could threaten the fairness of any future trial.

He also revealed that details of the alleged breach of licence conditions came to light after officials were told that Venables’ new identity had been compromised.

According to reports, 27-year-old Venables — who was 10 when he and Robert Thompson carried out the brutal killing in Bootle, Merseyside — is being investigated by police over allegations he was looking at child pornography.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Straw had hinted he could release more information. But he later told MPs: “I fully understand the concern of James Bulger’s parents and the wider public about this case, and indeed the frustration voiced by James’s mother, Mrs Fergus, that insufficient information has been provided to her.

“As I indicated earlier, I have been giving further active consideration as to whether it would be appropriate to provide more information.

“But I have concluded that this would not presently be in the interests of justice.”

“It is critical that if charges do follow, it is possible to hold a fair trial — fair for the defence and fair for the prosecution.”

Mrs Fergus, supported by her husband, Stuart, told TV presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that the days after learning of Venables’ return to prison had been a “massive rollercoaster” for her family.

She said she found out about Venables’ recall last Tuesday, when officials visited her home in Kirkby, Merseyside.

“It has been up and down. I have been very emotional.

“My head has been all over the place.

“I don’t know what he has done. I don’t know whether he has gone on to kill someone else.

“I have had sleepless nights and I am not eating again — I have had to pull my kids out of school. It is just one massive rollercoaster again.

“And I can’t believe that they are putting me through this. Any question I have asked them I have had no answers, and it’s about time now I got some answers.

“I am sick of them closing doors in my face. It’s about time they started telling me what I think I should know.

“As James’s mother I have a right to know.”

She said that, if Venables was charged and tried, she would like to be in court but she feared a cover-up.

“The government just don’t know how to handle this now. Because this is so big again, the government are just treating it like a football, kicking it to one another.”

Mr Straw indicated there would be a major inquiry if Venables was charged with another serious crime. He told the Commons: “If any offender on a life licence is charged with a serious further offence, a thorough review of the supervision must be carried out.”

Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said Mr Straw should have explained the circumstances sooner, and called for a pledge to reveal more details if a decision is made to prosecute.

He said: “The justice secretary may on reflection conclude that he could probably have earlier explained to the House the limits to what can be disclosed at the present time because of the risk of prejudicing recall proceedings or a prosecution, which no one wants to do.”