The mother of James Bulger was left ‘absolutely disgusted’ and heartbroken after the murdered toddler’s grave was desecrated for the second time in just six weeks.
Denise Fergus, whose two-year-old son was lured away by John Venables and his accomplice Robert Thompson, who then tortured and killed him in Liverpool in February 1993, revealed his gravestone had been vandalised yet again.
In February, heartless vandals ‘scythed off’ the heads of two cherubs adorning the murdered child’s resting place in an incident that left Ms Fergus heartbroken ‘once again’
More than £20,000 was raised by ‘an army of heroes’ via a GoFundMe page in a bid to restore little James’s resting place to its original condition.
But the grieving mother has yet again been left devastated after ‘evil’ vandals swiped the heads of the cherubs from her son’s grave.
Merseyside Police has since renewed its hunt for the thugs as well as the cherub heads, which remain missing.
Explaining how her ‘heart sank’ when she discovered the toddler’s grave had once again been desecrated this morning, she told The Mirror: ‘I am absolutely disgusted that James’ grave has been demolished and devastated again.’
Adding that the cherubs had just been carefully repaired a few weeks ago, she questioned: ‘How evil do you need to be to vandalise and destroy a child’s grave?’
James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus has revealed his grave has been desecrated for the second time in six weeks (Pictured: In February of this year)
Ms Fergus (pictured in 2023) has yet again been left devastated after ‘evil’ vandals swiped the heads of the cherubs from her son’s grave
James (pictured) was lured away from his mother at a shopping centre in Liverpool by Jon Venables and and his accomplice Robert Thompson – who tortured and killed him in February 1993
Insisting the vandal must be found, she urged anyone with information or details to come forward and contact the police.
Katie McCreath, Director of KMC Legal & Finance and is part of Denise’s legal team, confirmed James’s headstone had been vandalised for a second time, in an act she described as ‘both distressing and unacceptable’.
‘Denise is understandably devastated. For any parent, a gravesite is a place of reflection, peace, and remembrance,’ she said, adding that it was a ‘deeply personal and emotional violation’.
Elaborating on the family’s disbelief at the cruelty decades after their son’s death, Ms McCreath confirmed the police have been notified about the incident.
It comes after Ms Fergus was left heartbroken after cherubs on either side of the two-year-old’s headstone were smashed off following a sickening attack in February.
Sharing a photograph showing the damage on social media, devastated Denise wrote: ‘Today I felt my heart break once again. We got a message from a lady walking her dog at the cemetery where James’s resting place is.
‘She sadly told us his headstone and surround had been vandalised. We rushed down there to find the cherubs each side of his headstone had been smashed to pieces.
‘I need to find whoever did this to my son’s resting place. I try to help as many families as I can with either justice campaigns or helping families through the charity I set up in his memory, and some horrid b*****d has done this… to a baby’s grave! Really??’
The vandal struck sometime between late morning and mid-afternoon on February 26 at Kirkdale Cemetery in Liverpool.
Writing on Facebook, Denise added: ‘If anyone has any information, please send it via the charity page James Bulger Memorial Trust or contact Merseyside Police and let them know if you have seen or heard something.
Merseyside Police have since renewed its hunt for the thugs as well as the cherub heads, which remain missing
Pictured: One of the cherub heads which were ‘scythed’ off the murdered toddler’s headstone in February
‘I’m devastated someone could be so cruel and hurtful to My James.’
A smaller angel had been put in a bin, and a teddy was also stolen, as Merseyside Police confirmed two large marble angels had been damaged at around 4.20pm on February 26 at Kirkdale Cemetery.
Following the incident, a GoFundMe page was launched, amassing over £23,000, allowing to Ms Fergus not only to temporarily fix the grave but also to replace it and secure it further in the future.
Denise thanked supporters for their donations, which exceeded the original target of £13,000, meaning they could ‘leave another real legacy for James’ and visit his grave on the two-year-old’s birthday – March 16.
In 1993, James was with his mother at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, before being led away by Thompson and Venables, a moment captured in chilling CCTV footage.
His mutilated body was found two days later on a railway line two and a half miles away in Walton, Liverpool.
Thompson and Venables were found guilty of abduction and murder in November 1993, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history.
They were sentenced to indefinite detention at secure units and remained in custody until a Parole Board decision in June 2001 recommended their release on a life licence at the age of 18.
Robert Thompson (right) and Jon Venables (left) were found guilty of abduction and murder in November 1993, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history
Both were given new identities and moved to secret locations under a ‘witness protection’-like programme.
Venables was later jailed in 2010 for possessing child pornography images on his computer.
He was released on parole in 2013 but was recalled to prison in November 2017 for again possessing child pornography images on his computer. His 2023 appeals for parole were rejected.
Following the toddler’s death, Denise and her husband Stuart founded the James Bulger Memorial Trust in a bid to help other families who are going through difficult times.
Among their projects is a holiday lodge located near Blackpool, which allows struggling families to have some time away.
They revealed that extra donations from the money raised for James’s headstone in March would be put towards the maintenance of the holiday lodge.
