Jamie Bulger

The Event/ What Happened:

CCTV evidence from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle taken on 12 February 1993 showed two young boys casually observing children, apparently selecting a target. Throughout the day, Thompson and Venables were seen stealing various items including sweets, a troll doll, some batteries and a can of blue paint, some of which were found at the murder scene obviously being bought for the murder in question. It was later revealed by one of the boys that they were planning to find a child to abduct, lead him to the busy road alongside the mall, and push him into the path of oncoming traffic.

That same afternoon, James Bulger went with his mother to the New Strand Shopping Centre. At around 3:40pm, Denise realized that her son had disappeared. He had been left at the door of the shop while she placed an order, and was spotted by Thompson and Venables, they approached him and spoke to him, before taking him by the hand and leading him out of the precinct.

The boys took Bulger on a 2.5-mile walk across Liverpool, leading him to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal where he was dropped on his head and suffered injuries to his face. During the walk across Liverpool, the boys were seen by 38 people, Bulger had a bump on his forehead and was crying, but most bystanders did nothing to intervene, assuming that he was a younger brother. Two people challenged the older boys, but they claimed that Bulger was a younger brother or that he was lost and they were taking him to the local police station. Eventually the boys led Bulger to a railway line where they attacked him.

At the trial it was established that at this location, one of the boys threw blue Humbrol modelling paint into Bulger's left eye. They kicked him and hit him with bricks, stones and a 22-pound iron bar before they placed batteries in his mouth. Bulger suffered ten skull fractures as a result of the iron bar striking his head. Alan Williams, the case's pathologist, speculated that Bulger suffered so many injuries that none could be isolated as the fatal blow. Police suspected that there was a sexual element since Bulger's shoes, trousers and underpants had been removed. The pathologist's report read out in court stated that Bulger's foreskin had been manipulated.
Before they left him, the boys laid Bulger across the railway tracks and weighted his head down with rubble, in the hope that a train would hit him and make his death appear to be an accident. After Bulger's killers left the scene, his body was cut in half by a train. Bulger's severed body was discovered two days later, on 14 February, he had died before the train hit him.

The boys were charged with Bulger's murder on 20 February 1993, and appeared at South Sefton Youth Court on 22 February 1993, when they were remanded in custody to await trial

Opinion:

My opinion about this event is that the syringe model could explain why this happened yet at the time Childs play three was never proven to have been watched by the boys and was said in court that the two boys hated horror films. This makes me feel that either the boys were influenced by some other means or were simply psychologically disturbed to commit the level of torture that them committed on the two year old.

As I pointed out earlier the torture was so aggressive that they couldn’t find out exactly what blow killed the male or when the toddler actually died although it was before the train. I feel that the parents may of also had an impact because ten year old boys shouldn’t be watching an eighteen certificate film for various reasons, an example of this is that they aren’t fully developed yet. However their parents most of allowed the children to watch the film ignoring the rating so if the syringe model is right then it would have to take into consideration that the parents may think that the film was a good one causing the children to think this as well and thus go and commit a crime similar.

Future:

This event has often been blamed upon the movie Childs play three with the main killer called Chucky who is a psychotic doll with an evil soul inside of him.The film also has become controversial because it has been indirectly linked to the very brutal murder. The two ten year olds were said to have imitated a scene in which one of Chucky's victims is splashed with blue paint. Although these allegations against the film have never been proven, the case has led to some new legislation for video films.

These factors make me believe that the age ratings for horror or thriller films will be increased or will be more limited to who buys them/watches them. The age ratings may also increase making it harder for children to see any horror at all.

Childs play three trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9GNZdjMCAM
Tribute to James: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hXIaAoBqek&feature=related