JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE BATTLE AS JAMES BULGER’S MOTHER PUSHES FOR PUBLIC HEARING

MORE THAN 30 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF TWO-YEAR-OLD JAMES BULGER, HIS FAMILY IS FACING ANOTHER PAINFUL CHAPTER — AS JON VENABLES’ LATEST PAROLE REVIEW MOVES FORWARD.

The mother of murdered toddler James Bulger has made a fresh bid for a public parole hearing in the case of Jon Venables, one of the two boys convicted over James’ killing in 1993.

The Parole Board confirmed in August 2026 that it had received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus asking for Venables’ hearing to be held in public.

A separate application was also submitted by legal representatives for James’ father, Ralph Bulger, and the Bulger family, supporting a public hearing.

 A CASE THAT HAS NEVER LEFT THE FAMILY

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

Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10 at the time, were convicted later that year.

The two were released in 2001 under new identities and subject to strict anonymity protections.

While Thompson has not been publicly linked to further offending, Venables was later recalled to prison after child-abuse images were discovered in his possession. He was subsequently released and then recalled again in 2017 following another offence involving such images. He has remained in custody since then.

WHY DOES THE FAMILY WANT THE HEARING OPEN?

According to the official Parole Board document, Denise and Stuart Fergus argue that a public hearing could provide greater transparency around how parole decisions are made.

They also say the case has generated extensive public discussion and misinformation over the years, and that greater transparency could help the public better understand the parole process.

The application also points to Venables’ subsequent offending as an exceptional feature of the case.

The Bulger family’s separate application similarly argues that the case raises significant questions about risk assessment, release planning, supervision and public protection.

 A PUBLIC HEARING HAS NOT YET BEEN GRANTED

The applications do not mean that Venables’ parole hearing will automatically be public.

The Parole Board says most hearings are private, although public hearings can be requested and considered under the relevant rules.

If a public hearing were approved, safeguards could be used to protect Venables’ legally protected identity, while sensitive evidence could still be considered privately.

The Parole Board gave deadlines in August and September 2026 for representations concerning the applications.

 ANOTHER PAROLE REVIEW FOR A FAMILY STILL LIVING WITH THE LOSS

Venables’ latest parole process comes more than three decades after James was taken from his mother and killed.

A previous parole bid was rejected in 2023, when the Parole Board concluded that Venables continued to pose a danger to children and could offend again.

For Denise Fergus, every new parole process means revisiting a tragedy that began when her son was only two years old.

Now, the family is asking for greater transparency over what happens next.

The question before the Parole Board is not simply whether another hearing will take place — but whether the public will eventually be allowed to see part of that process unfold.

And for James Bulger’s family, more than 30 years later, the search for answers continues.