Some people literally blame the mother for her son getting tortured and murdered. "If she had been paying more attention..." Ugh! Also, anyone who defends those boys can kindly sod off.
it's so disgusting because not only is it super easy to lose sight of your child if you look away for even a second, especially in a shopping centre like the strand which was very busy in my childhood — thompson & venables specifically lured him away.
they didn't just come across james as he'd wandered off, they lured james away from denise & had tried to do so with another child earlier in the day but that child's mother intervened.
it was not denise's fault. she has to live with the torturous guilt that will already make her blame herself without people using that to further beat her over the head. there is no defense for those boys like you said & it's disgusting to see people do so because of their own agendas.