Denise Fergus Fears Her Son’s Killers Could Be Behind Online Abuse: ‘It’s Really Scary’

More than three decades after the brutal abduction and murder of her two-year-old son James Bulger, Denise Fergus says her nightmare still hasn’t ended — and now, it’s taken a chilling new form online.

The mother, whose unimaginable loss shook Britain to its core in 1993, has revealed her growing fear that the “sick trolls” taunting her across social media could, in fact, be her son’s killers — or people working with them.

Denise, 56, has been subjected to years of online abuse from anonymous accounts mocking her child’s death, spreading falsehoods about her, and posting cruel messages designed to provoke fresh trauma. But in recent months, she says, the tone of those attacks has grown darker and more personal — leading her to suspect the unthinkable.

“They’ve been told not to, but what’s to stop them writing to me on social media and pretending to be somebody else?” she said, her voice breaking.
“It’s really scary, and the thought often goes through my mind — it could be one of them.”

A Lifetime of Fear and Fighting for Justice

James Bulger was just two years old when he was abducted from a Bootle shopping centre in February 1993 by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. What followed was one of the most harrowing crimes in modern British history. James was led away, tortured, and killed in a case that horrified the world and changed the way Britain viewed youth crime forever.

Thompson and Venables were convicted of murder later that year — making them the youngest convicted killers in modern UK history. They served just eight years in youth detention before being released in 2001 with new identities and lifelong anonymity orders.

For Denise Fergus, that anonymity has always been a source of torment. She has campaigned tirelessly for transparency, arguing that both men remain a danger to the public. Her fears appeared tragically justified when Jon Venables was later jailed twice for child abuse image offences — once in 2010, and again in 2017.

Now, Denise worries that Venables or Thompson — or people connected to them — could be hiding behind the anonymity of social media to torment her further.

The Digital Nightmare

Over the years, Denise has built a large following online, using her voice to campaign for victims’ rights and to keep James’s memory alive. But the same platforms that have allowed her to find support have also exposed her to relentless cruelty.

She describes receiving vile messages from fake profiles, sometimes within minutes of speaking publicly about her son. “They know too much,” she says. “Sometimes they say things that only someone involved would know. That’s what makes it so frightening.”

Police have investigated some of the threats, but tracking anonymous users online is notoriously difficult — especially when her son’s killers live under protected identities.

Cybercrime experts have warned that, while direct contact from Thompson or Venables would breach their licence conditions, it would be nearly impossible to prove unless they were caught. “It’s a loophole that leaves victims vulnerable,” one expert said. “People with anonymity orders can use fake accounts to communicate indirectly — and the law is struggling to keep up.”

A Mother’s Enduring Strength

Despite the renewed fear, Denise has refused to be silenced. Earlier this year, she launched another campaign calling for Venables’ anonymity to be lifted permanently, arguing that the public has a right to know who he is given his repeated reoffending.

Her voice cracked as she explained: “I’ve waited half my life for justice. Every time I think I can breathe again, something drags me back. Now it’s social media. It never stops.”

Friends and supporters describe Denise as one of Britain’s strongest women — someone who has turned unbearable grief into purpose. Through her charity work and advocacy, she continues to honour James’s memory while fighting for changes in the justice system.

But even the strongest hearts have limits. “I shouldn’t have to live like this,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have to wonder if the people who killed my baby are still out there, watching me.”

A Nation Still Haunted

The murder of James Bulger remains one of the darkest chapters in British criminal history. The haunting CCTV footage of the toddler being led away by his killers remains etched in the national consciousness, a chilling reminder of innocence betrayed.

For Denise Fergus, that image has never faded. Each new threat, each cruel message, reopens the wound that never truly healed.

“People say time heals,” she said. “But when you’re the mother of James Bulger, time doesn’t heal — it just teaches you how to keep fighting.”

As she marks more than 32 years since losing her son, Denise vows she will never stop demanding justice — not just for James, but for every victim whose voice has been silenced.

And though the faces behind the screens may be hidden, Denise’s message to them is crystal clear: “You won’t break me. I’ve survived worse. I will always speak for my boy.”