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, Jon Venables is once again at the center of a parole process that could determine whether he remains behind bars.

Venables, now 43, is due to have his case considered at another oral parole hearing — more than two years after his previous bid for freedom was rejected.

But this time, there is another major question surrounding the hearing:

Could the public be allowed to watch it?

TWO REQUESTS TO OPEN THE HEARING

In August 2026, the Parole Board confirmed that it had received applications asking for Venables’ upcoming oral hearing to be held in public.

One application came from Denise and Stuart Fergus.

The second was submitted by legal representatives for James Bulger’s father, Ralph Bulger, and his family.

The applications argue that the case is exceptional because of its history, the later offences committed by Venables, repeated recalls to custody and the difficult questions surrounding risk management and public protection.

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

However, no decision has yet been announced granting a public hearing.

Parole hearings are normally held privately, and the Parole Board has previously refused an application to make a Venables hearing public.

THE CASE THAT SHOCKED BRITAIN

James Bulger was just two years old when he disappeared from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

Venables and Robert Thompson, both 10 at the time, were later convicted of abducting and murdering him.

The case became one of the most notorious crimes in modern British history.

Both boys were eventually released under new identities in 2001.

But Venables’ return to the community did not last.

TWO RECALLS TO PRISON

Venables was first recalled to custody in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

He was later released again in August 2013.

In November 2017, he was recalled for a second time after similar material was discovered.

He has remained in custody since then.

His parole history has therefore become a central part of the current debate.

In 2023, the Parole Board rejected his application for release, finding that releasing him at that point would not be safe and that he remained capable of posing a risk.

ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY

For James’ family, another parole hearing means confronting a case that has continued for more than 30 years.

Denise Fergus has previously spoken publicly about the emotional impact of Venables’ parole reviews and has argued that the process should provide greater transparency.

The latest application for a public hearing says the case involves significant public interest and raises broader questions about public protection, risk management, anonymity and the lessons learned from previous releases and recalls.

The application also argues that a public hearing could allow the evidence and risk assessment to receive greater scrutiny.

But whether the hearing will actually be opened to the public remains undecided.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The current parole process does not mean Venables has been granted release.

It also does not mean a public hearing has been approved.

The immediate issue is whether the Parole Board will allow the upcoming oral hearing to be observed publicly.

The deadline for representations concerning the application submitted by James Bulger’s family is 3 p.m. on September 10, 2026.

After that, the Board will determine whether the exceptional circumstances of the case justify opening the proceedings.

More than 30 years after James Bulger was taken from his mother, the name Jon Venables remains closely associated with one of Britain’s most painful criminal cases.

Now, another parole decision is approaching — and once again, the question is not only whether Venables could ever be released.

It is whether the public will be allowed to see how that decision is made.