The murder of toddler James Bulger by 10 year-old schoolboys Robert Thompson and Jon Venables is one such case.
As a reporter who was heavily involved in covering the case in 1993, I remember very well the extraordinary international attention it attracted. The idea that two boys of an age still thought of by most as innocent could be capable of such an act was hugely shocking, stimulating a major debate about the state of our society.
Eighteen years on, the case continues to reverberate, today with the news that Venables will not get parole from his latest sentence for at least another year (Page 5).
For James’s parents, and for many others who share their conviction that the killers’ initial release came far too soon, this will come as some comfort at least.
