The mum of James Bulger has admitted she’s the “happiest” she’s been in some time as she renewed her wedding vows.
Denise Fergus has spent years fighting for justice for her son James. In 1993, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson – 10 at the time – tortured and murdered two-year-old James.
But now Denise has said she’s “living the life I should have lived all those years ago when I was young”.
James Bulger’s mum shares news
Denise said she and husband Stuart have renewed their wedding vows 25 years on. Speaking to OK!, Denise said: “I feel the happiest I have been for some time and that’s been the case for a while. I am living the life I should have lived all those years ago when I was young; a life that was taken away from me.”
She added: “There are so many more positives now, with our three sons and granddaughter; we can sit back and watch them live their lives; get married, have kids. It’s their turn now. Life is an enormous learning curve but here we are – just Denise and Stuart. Renewing our vows was a way of marking that.”
Denise went on to say that she and Stuart have “been through so much together” and wanted to mark 25 years of marriage.
I am living the life I should have lived all those years ago when I was young; a life that was taken away from me.
She said the “time was right emotionally” to renew their vows. Denise added: “At the time we met I told Stuart that if he took me on he would take a lot of other stuff on as well. I told him he had an opportunity to walk away from that; from me. But he didn’t. I don’t think I would have been able to do what I have on my own. He’s the one that keeps me together.”
Stuart also had some touching words to say about his wife. He said she’s the “definition of a fighter” and behind closed doors she’s a “loving mum and wife”.
Denise Fergus statement on Venables
Denise recently spoke out amid reports that Venables has been granted a parole board hearing.
Venables and Thompson were released in 2001 on licence for life following the murder of James. Thompson has not reoffended. But Venables returned to jail in 2010 and 2017 after being caught with child sex abuse images on his computer.
Reports claim that a parole hearing on Venables’ case will now take place in November. Denise said in a victim impact statement: “If you let him free, you could be ruining the lives of another family like ours. When you look at Venables’s file just remember what he is capable of.
“He killed my son James, and has reoffended time and time again. I have no doubt he would kill another child.”
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