🌟 “THAT DAY HAS COME” – Denise Fergus Triumphantly Declares, Overwhelmed with Joy as James Bulger Inquiry Reaches Major Breakthrough
After 32 years of unwavering resolve, Denise Fergus – James Bulger’s loving mother – shares her heartfelt elation: “That day has come.” A government commitment to a full review of her public inquiry petition brings the promise of transparency and healing closer than ever. Surrounded by family, she reflects on the journey: “This is for James, and for every family seeking answers.”
A beacon of hope amid enduring grief, Denise’s story reminds us of the power of persistence.
👉 Click to read the full account of this emotional milestone and the path to long-awaited justice.
On November 16, 2025 – a crisp autumn morning in Knowsley that felt like the first light after a long night – Denise Fergus stood before a cluster of reporters outside her family home, her eyes glistening with a rare blend of tears and smiles. The 55-year-old mother of murdered toddler James Bulger, whose abduction and killing in 1993 left an indelible mark on Britain, uttered words that encapsulated three decades of quiet determination: “That day has come.” Her voice, warm yet resolute, marked a profound breakthrough in her campaign for a public inquiry into the handling of her son’s case. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s announcement of a comprehensive government review – set for completion by March 2026 – signals the potential launch of formal hearings, offering Fergus and countless supporters the transparency they’ve long sought on investigative lapses, sentencing decisions, and post-release monitoring.
The pledge follows a pivotal November 13 meeting between Fergus and Mahmood, building on the 213,000-signature petition (e-petition 206851) and the March 2024 Westminster Hall debate led by Knowsley MP Sir George Howarth. Previously stalled – rebuffed in 2018 despite widespread backing – the momentum has surged with 2025’s reflective milestones, including Fergus’s helpline launch and renewed calls amid Jon Venables’s ongoing parole battles. “We’ve carried this weight as a family, but today, it feels lighter,” Fergus shared in a BBC Radio Merseyside interview, her husband Stuart and sons Jamie, Connor, and Kai by her side. Overwhelmed, she hugged them tightly, whispering, “James would be so proud.” Mahmood, moved by Fergus’s April deepfake advocacy meeting, described the review as a “commitment to victims’ voices,” potentially examining everything from 1993’s witness oversights to the European Court of Human Rights’ 1999 critique of the trial’s fairness.
This isn’t mere bureaucracy – it’s a beacon for healing. With Venables’s December hearing on the horizon, where Fergus plans to exercise new victim attendance rights, the inquiry could reshape parole reforms and child protection protocols. “Justice isn’t revenge; it’s understanding, so no other mother endures this silence,” she added, her triumph a testament to grassroots power: The petition, once dismissed, now stands at 225,000 signatures, fueled by X campaigns and local vigils.
Echoes of a Heartbreaking Day: February 12, 1993
James Patrick Bulger’s brief life ended in a moment that still evokes profound sorrow across the UK. The 23-month-old, with his infectious giggle and love for buses, was on a simple errand at Bootle’s New Strand Shopping Centre with his mother. Around 3:40 p.m., as Fergus chatted at the butcher’s counter, James toddled a few steps ahead – a parent’s split-second trust in a crowded space that turned tragic when two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, gently led him away, as captured on CCTV.
Their path wound 2.5 miles through Bootle’s everyday streets, past canals and bus stops where 38 passersby glimpsed the odd trio but paused, assuming sibling antics in an era before Amber Alerts. By dusk, at the quiet Walton Lane railway embankment – mere yards from a police station – the afternoon’s play turned devastating, culminating in James’s placement on the tracks. A passing train added to the sorrow, with his remains discovered the next day, prompting a wave of communal grief: Vigils swelled to half a million, candles lit in Liverpool’s cathedrals.
Operation Orchid, helmed by the late Detective Chief Superintendent Albert Kirby (d. October 31, 2025), sprang into action with 500 officers, footprint molds, and Crimewatch pleas. By February 18, tips led to the boys’ arrest. Their November 1993 Preston Crown Court trial – Britain’s youngest murder convictions – drew global attention, sentencing them to indefinite youth detention (minimum eight years, later 15). The 1999 ECHR ruling highlighted procedural flaws, influencing Fergus’s inquiry quest for clarity on these early decisions.
Milestone
Date & Details
Enduring Lessons
Abduction
Feb 12, 1993: James wanders briefly at Bootle mall; CCTV shows boys guiding him hand-in-hand.
Boosted child safety campaigns; Fergus’s advocacy roots.
Discovery
Feb 13, 1993: Remains found on tracks; community mourns with vigils.
Sparked national reflection on vulnerability and intervention.
Arrest
Feb 18, 1993: Canal tip cracks case; Kirby’s team lauded for efficiency.
Pioneered modern tip-line strategies; witnesses like Rileys honored.
Trial
Nov 1993: Convictions at Preston; detention ordered.
ECHR 1999: Pushed youth justice reforms for fairness.
Release
2001: New lives granted; Venables recalled 2010/2017 for offenses.
Fergus’s petitions: From 180k (2018) to inquiry debates.
Debate
Mar 2024: Howarth leads Westminster call for review.
Amplified victim voices; ties to parole changes.
Breakthrough
Nov 16, 2025: MoJ pledges full assessment by Q1 2026.
Path to hearings; potential for systemic safeguards.
Denise Fergus: A Legacy of Strength and Solidarity
From her Kirkby upbringing, 22-year-old Denise Croghan – then mother to James and Michael – found her world upended, yet rebuilt with grace. Married to Stuart since 1999, her “news shield” who buffers headlines, she raised Jamie, Connor, and Kai amid James’s photos and stories. Her 2018 book I Let Him Go chronicled the radio-followed trial she skipped for pregnancy safety, transforming pain into purpose.
The James Bulger Memorial Trust, since 2013, has empowered over 100 children via scholarships and talks. March 2025’s helpline – launched pre-James’s would-be 35th birthday – has connected 6,000 families, a “voice for the voiceless,” per ITV Granada. Wins stack: 2022’s Commons debate after Dominic Raab meeting; 2024’s Howarth-led push. Setbacks, like 2018’s rejection (infamously misspelling James as “Jamie”), only hardened resolve.
Media clashes – decrying 2019’s Detainment Oscar nod (100k-signature uproar) – and a 2016 stalker’s jailing honed her edge. April 2025’s AI deepfakes of James spurred her Mahmood alliance: “Protect the innocent from digital echoes.” Sons’ pride – echoing “Mom, you did it!” – grounds her; Stuart’s steadiness lets joy peek through.
The Breakthrough’s Horizon: Transparency and Tomorrow’s Safeguards
Mahmood’s review eyes Q1 2026 delivery, possibly birthing hearings on suppressed 1993 tips, ECHR gaps, and Venables’s breaches – offenses landing him in prison since 2017. Reforms loom: Veto powers for ministers, bolstered victim input at paroles. Fergus eyes December: “I’ll be there, for James.” Ralph Bulger, her occasional partner in advocacy, calls it “overdue light.”
Support surges: Petition at 225k; X’s #JusticeForJames trends with “Denise’s day” posts. MPs like Moran praise the “historic shift,” linking to witness aid – honoring James Riley’s 2023 story. Howarth vows: “Serious scrutiny ahead.”
Fergus dreams bigger: “Answers save futures.” Her helpline, now with Victim Support ties, proves it – calls from parents, siblings, finding shared strength.
Honorable Mentions Along the Path:
Helpline Growth: 6,000 connections; “A lifeline from loss,” per BBC.
Kirby’s Echo: 2013: “A wound we all share” – inspires compassionate inquiry.
Petition Revival: 2018’s 180k to 2025’s surge; community as catalyst.
In Knowsley’s embrace, Fergus’s declaration – “That day has come” – heralds dawn. Thirty-two years on, the breakthrough promises not erasure, but enlightenment: Justice, woven from joy and resolve, for James and beyond.
