JON VENABLES FACES ANOTHER PAROLE HEARING — MORE THAN 30 YEARS AFTER THE JAMES BULGER CASE

More than three decades after the killing of two-year-old James Bulger, Jon Venables is once again at the center of a parole battle — and this time, James’s family is pushing for the public to hear what happens behind closed doors.

Venables was only 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping area in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

The case shocked Britain and became one of the country’s most notorious criminal cases involving children.

Now, Venables, who is 43, is facing another parole hearing after his previous application was rejected in 2023.

At that hearing, the Parole Board concluded that releasing him would not be safe and found that he continued to present a risk to the public.

ANOTHER PAROLE BATTLE

The latest hearing comes more than two years after the 2023 decision.

Venables was initially released on licence in 2001 after serving time in custody. He was later recalled to prison in 2010 after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

He was released again before being recalled for a second time in 2017 after another conviction involving indecent images of children.

Those later convictions have become a central part of the continuing debate over whether he can safely remain in the community.

JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY WANTS ANSWERS

James’s mother, Denise Fergus, has repeatedly spoken about the devastating impact of the parole process on her family.

In 2026, she sought permission for the latest hearing to be held in public.

The Parole Board confirmed in August that it had received applications from Denise and Stuart Fergus, as well as from legal representatives for James Bulger’s father Ralph Bulger and his family, asking for the hearing to be made public.

The applications argue that the case is exceptional because of its history, the later offending, repeated recalls to custody and the continuing public-protection questions surrounding Venables.

They also argue that greater transparency could help the public understand how parole decisions are reached.

WHY THE CASE STILL HAUNTS BRITAIN

James Bulger was taken from his mother while she was shopping in Bootle on February 12, 1993.

The discovery of what had happened to him shocked the nation.

Both Venables and Thompson were convicted after being tried in an adult court, despite being just 10 years old at the time.

Their identities were later protected by lifelong anonymity orders because of the extraordinary risks surrounding the case.

More than 30 years later, the consequences continue to affect James’s family — particularly whenever another parole hearing is scheduled.

In Parliament earlier this year, MPs also raised concerns about the emotional impact repeated parole hearings can have on victims’ families.

THE QUESTION NOW

The central issue before the Parole Board is not whether the original crime happened. Venables was convicted more than three decades ago.

The question is whether the evidence now shows that releasing him would be safe.

That question has already produced different answers over the years.

In 2023, the Parole Board rejected his application after determining that release was not safe.

Now, another panel will have to examine his current circumstances, risk and rehabilitation.

For James Bulger’s family, however, the process is about more than a parole decision.

It is another reminder of a tragedy that began in 1993 — and a painful chapter they have never been able to leave behind.

The latest battle is no longer simply about whether Jon Venables should be released. It is also about how much the public should be allowed to know when a decision could affect the safety of others.