“JUSTICE, AT LAST?” — JON VENABLES FACES ANOTHER PAROLE HEARING MORE THAN 30 YEARS AFTER JAMES BULGER’S MURDER

More than three decades after two-year-old James Bulger was abducted and murdered, the name of Jon Venables is once again at the center of a painful legal battle.

Venables, who was 10 years old when James was taken from a shopping centre in Merseyside in 1993, is now facing another parole review.

And for James’ mother, Denise Fergus, the process means being forced to confront the darkest chapter of her life all over again.

ANOTHER BID FOR FREEDOM

Venables has previously been denied release.

In December 2023, the Parole Board concluded that releasing him at that time would not be safe for the protection of the public. The panel said it remained concerned about the risk he posed and did not consider release appropriate.

Now, more than two years later, another parole hearing is being prepared.

The new hearing was reported in January 2026, with the Parole Board expected to examine whether Venables can safely be released on licence. Denise Fergus was granted permission to attend the hearing.

But as of September 8, there has been no verified announcement confirming that Venables has been granted parole or released.

DENISE FERGUS WANTS THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS

In August, the Parole Board confirmed that Denise and her husband Stuart Fergus had applied for the oral hearing to be held in public.

Their application cited the enormous public interest surrounding the case, as well as concerns about misinformation circulating online.

They argued that a public hearing could give people a better understanding of how parole decisions are made and allow the process to face greater scrutiny.

The family of James’ father, Ralph Bulger, also submitted an application seeking a public hearing.

The application itself does not mean the hearing has been approved for the public.

THE CASE THAT SHOCKED BRITAIN

On February 12, 1993, James Bulger disappeared from the Strand shopping centre in Bootle.

Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, were convicted of abducting and murdering the toddler.

The case shocked Britain because of the age of both offenders and the circumstances surrounding James’ death.

Venables and Thompson were eventually released on licence in 2001 under lifelong anonymity protections.

But Venables later returned to prison after being convicted of offences involving indecent images of children.

He was recalled again in 2017 after further offending.

Those subsequent convictions have remained an important part of the debate surrounding his suitability for release.

THE 2023 DECISION STILL HANGS OVER THE CASE

When Venables sought parole in 2023, the Parole Board rejected the application.

The panel said it had considered his original offending, his progress in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented to it.

Ultimately, it was not satisfied that releasing him at that point would adequately protect the public.

That decision does not automatically determine the outcome of the 2026 review.

The new panel must consider the evidence available to it now.

And that is why the upcoming hearing matters.

MORE THAN A PAROLE DECISION

For the Bulger family, this is not simply another legal hearing.

It is another reminder of the little boy whose murder became one of Britain’s most notorious crimes.

For Denise Fergus, every new parole application means reopening a trauma that began more than 33 years ago.

The public may debate rehabilitation, punishment and whether people can genuinely change.

But one fact remains unchanged:

James Bulger was only two years old when his life was taken.

Now, decades later, the question is once again being placed before the Parole Board:

Is Jon Venables safe to return to society — or does he still pose an unacceptable risk?

As of now, there is no confirmed 2026 parole decision.

The next chapter of the case remains unwritten.