Anonymity for Bulger killers 'to stop lynch mobs'

Justice Secretary Jack Straw today defended the granting of new identities to the killers of James Bulger.

Court orders preventing the new names of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables becoming public helped stop "lynch mob" attacks, Mr Straw said.

He told a committee of MPs that such injunctions were needed only in very rare cases when the subjects were in danger of being seriously injured or killed.

Judges have granted four such orders, covering Venables and Thompson as well as child killer Mary Bell and Maxine Carr, the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley.

Answering questions before the House of Commons Justice Committee, Mr Straw said the subjects of the orders faced the "serious prospect of being maimed or killed".

"There are, including Venables and Thompson, only four cases where complete anonymity has been granted, following a change in identity.

"There can be circumstances, very rare indeed, where it can be judged that the physical safety, maybe the life of somebody being released from custody can only be preserved if they are given a fresh identity."

He added: "We don't have capital punishment in this country. We have never had rule by lynch mob, even when we did have capital punishment."

Mr Straw confirmed there would be a review of the handling of Venables' case if the 27-year-old is charged with a further offence.

Venables was returned to prison at the end of last month after breaching the terms of his release, reportedly for offences involving images showing child sex abuse.