Her phone calls were strictly limited and letters routed so that they took several months to arrive. Bill Norris, associate director of the media ethics charity the Press Wise Trust, says legal protection is vital. This was shown in the Mary Bell case. Mary Bell, who was imprisoned aged 11 for the killing of two children in 1968, was found by reporters within eight years of being released. Her details were legally suppressed, when Bell argued disclosure would harm her young daughter.
Journalists rely on tip-offs.
Where money is involved, nothing is a secret if it's shared by more than one person. Just like Thompson and Venables, their lives would be put at risk, without a doubt.