JON VENABLES FACES A FRESH PAROLE REVIEW — JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY WANTS THE HEARING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, the case has returned to the spotlight as Jon Venables prepares for another parole review.

Venables was 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993. The two boys were later convicted of his murder.

Now aged 43, Venables is facing another parole process after his previous bid for release was rejected in 2023. At that time, the Parole Board concluded that releasing him was not considered safe for public protection and said further work was needed to address outstanding risk.

JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY WANTS THE HEARING TO BE PUBLIC

On August 7, 2026, the Parole Board confirmed that it had received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus, James Bulger’s mother and stepfather, asking for Venables’ upcoming hearing to be held in public.

Their application argues that the case has generated enormous public interest and that greater transparency could help the public understand how parole decisions are made.

They also said that extensive discussion and misinformation surrounding the case on social media has continued to cause distress for the family.

A separate application was also submitted by the legal representative of Jimmy Bulger and Ralph Bulger, seeking a public hearing.

That application points to the exceptional nature of the case, including the original murder, Venables’ later offending, repeated recalls to custody and the complicated legal protections surrounding his identity.

THE HEARING DATE HAS NOT YET BEEN SET

Despite reports that another parole review is planned, no date for the oral hearing has been publicly announced.

The application for a public hearing is also separate from the eventual parole decision. Under Parole Board rules, hearings normally take place privately, although a public hearing can be permitted when the interests of justice justify it.

The Board will first consider the applications for public access before any decision about whether the hearing should be opened to observers.

WHY THE 2023 DECISION STILL MATTERS

Venables was released on licence in 2001 but was later recalled to prison in 2010 after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children. He was released again in 2013 and recalled in 2017 following another conviction involving indecent images.

During the 2023 parole review, the Board said it had concerns about continuing risk and was not satisfied that release at that point would be safe for the public.

That decision does not automatically determine the outcome of the new review. The Parole Board will consider the evidence available in the current case.

A FAMILY STILL LIVING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES

For Denise Fergus, the mother of James, every new parole process brings the case back into public attention.

The latest application for a public hearing reflects the family’s desire for greater transparency while also seeking to preserve the legal protections surrounding Venables’ identity.

Those protections remain in place because of the age at which Venables and Thompson committed the original offence. Details that could identify Venables or reveal his current whereabouts should not be published.

For now, the next major question is whether the Parole Board will allow the upcoming hearing to be observed by the public.

And beyond that, the eventual parole decision will determine the next stage of a case that has remained in the public eye for more than 30 years.