JAMES BULGER’S DAD DEMANDS JON VENABLES’ PAROLE HEARING BE MADE PUBLIC — AFTER TWO RETURNS TO PRISON

The family of murdered toddler James Bulger is calling for greater transparency as Jon Venables prepares for another parole hearing more than three decades after the two-year-old’s death.

The father of murdered toddler James Bulger has called for the next parole hearing involving Jon Venables to be held in public, arguing that the circumstances surrounding Venables’ later offending make transparency more important than ever.

Venables was one of the two 10-year-old boys convicted of murdering two-year-old James in 1993.

Now, more than 30 years later, he remains in prison and is facing another parole process.

A NEW CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY

The latest development comes after Denise and Stuart Fergus, James’ parents, applied to the Parole Board for Venables’ hearing to be held publicly.

The Parole Board confirmed in August that it had received the application.

The family has argued that opening the hearing could serve the public interest, improve understanding of the parole process and help address misinformation surrounding the case.

The application does not mean the hearing will automatically be made public.

A decision on whether it should be held in public rests with the Parole Board.

VENABLES WAS RELEASED — THEN RECALLED

Venables and Robert Thompson were released from custody in 2001 after serving their minimum terms.

However, Venables was subsequently returned to prison on two separate occasions after authorities discovered that he possessed indecent images of children.

The Liverpool Echo reports that his later offending is one of the reasons James’ family believes the upcoming hearing deserves greater scrutiny.

He was most recently imprisoned following a conviction related to the possession of child sexual abuse material.

ANOTHER PAROLE BID

In January 2026, it was reported that Venables would face another parole hearing.

His previous parole bid was rejected in 2023, with the Parole Board concluding that it was not satisfied his release would be safe for the protection of the public.

The latest hearing is therefore being closely watched by James’ family and supporters.

For Denise Fergus, the process has repeatedly forced her to revisit the trauma surrounding her son’s death.

WHY THE FAMILY WANTS THE HEARING OPEN

The request for a public hearing is not simply about revisiting the original crime.

The family has pointed to the wider public interest surrounding Venables’ parole history and his subsequent offending.

A public hearing could allow people to better understand how decisions about risk, rehabilitation and release are made.

But there are also significant legal and practical considerations, particularly given the lifelong protections surrounding Venables’ identity and safety.

The Parole Board has previously stressed that applications for public hearings are considered on their individual circumstances.

JAMES’ FAMILY STILL LIVES WITH THE CONSEQUENCES

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

His murder became one of Britain’s most notorious criminal cases.

For his parents, however, it was never simply a historic case.

It was the loss of their young son.

More than three decades later, every parole decision involving Venables continues to bring that trauma back to the surface.

Now the family wants the process to be as transparent as possible.

Whether the hearing will actually be opened to the public remains to be decided.

But one thing is certain:

The James Bulger case has never truly left the public consciousness — and neither has the question of what should happen to Jon Venables.

Venables remains in prison unless and until the Parole Board determines that his release can safely be managed in the community.