James Bulger Murder: 'I Don't Think It's A Pain You Can Heal' Toddler's Father Ralph Says

'It Just Ripped Us Apart'

The father of murdered toddler James Bulger has spoken out on the 20th anniversary of the crime.

Ralph Bulger described how his life was "ripped apart", his marriage broke down and he turned to drink.

James Bulger was two years old when he was killed

Two-year-old James was abducted, tortured and killed by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in Liverpool on February 12, 1993.

In an interview with the BBC's Radio 4, Mr Bulger said: "I don't think it's a pain you can heal. It's with you for life. It's been with me since it happened. It's there..it's always there."

Asked how he reacted to his son's murder, he described "non stop drinking, binge drinking, sometimes I was drinking a whole bottle of whisky and couldn't get drunk."

Ralph Bulger spoke to the BBC

And he talked of how his marriage to wife Denise ended after their son's murder.

"She was devastated. I think it just ripped us apart. I didn't know how to deal with it. You just try your best."

Venables and Thompson were jailed for life but released on licence with new identities in 2001.

Venables, 30, had his parole revoked in 2010 and was jailed for two years after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children.

Mr Bulger suggested the pair could commit a repeat murder in the future.

He said: "For them to be like that, at such a young age, they're adults now. Imagine what they could do now."

"I wouldn't put nothing past them ... what's to to stop that? It's just the way I feel."

He added: "It seems like after they were tried for it, they couldn't do anything wrong could they?"

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