JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE HEARING AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY PUSHES FOR PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, the case of Jon Venables has returned to the spotlight as he faces another parole hearing and his victim’s family seeks greater transparency over the process.

Venables was 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted James Bulger from a shopping area in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

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

Now 43, Venables is serving a prison sentence after being recalled to custody following later convictions for possessing indecent images of children. His latest parole application is expected to be considered by the Parole Board.

ANOTHER PAROLE BID

Venables was first released on licence in 2001, after serving part of his sentence for James’s murder.

He was subsequently recalled to prison in 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

After being released again in 2013, he was recalled for a second time in 2017 over another offence involving indecent images of children.

His previous parole application was rejected in 2023. The Parole Board found at the time that he continued to pose a risk of further offending.

In January 2026, it was reported that Venables would have another opportunity to seek release, with an oral hearing expected to take place later in the year. A specific hearing date has not been publicly confirmed.

JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY SEEKS A PUBLIC HEARING

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

The application argues that the case is of significant public interest and that greater transparency could help the public understand how parole decisions are made.

The family also argued that a public hearing could help address misinformation surrounding the case and allow victims’ families to better understand the decision-making process.

A separate application was also submitted on behalf of other members of James Bulger’s family.

That application highlighted the unusual circumstances of the case, including the original murder, Venables’ later offending, his previous recalls to custody and the questions surrounding risk assessment and public protection.

DENISE FERGUS FACES ANOTHER PAINFUL CHAPTER

James’s mother, Denise Fergus, has previously spoken about the emotional impact of having to repeatedly confront parole proceedings involving her son’s killer.

Her representatives have argued that the process can reopen the trauma surrounding James’s death.

The latest application says that a public hearing could provide greater scrutiny of the evidence and allow people to better understand how issues such as risk, release conditions and public protection are considered.

Under reforms introduced in England and Wales, victims can attend parole hearings held privately. However, the Bulger family has argued that simply observing a private hearing would not provide the same level of transparency as a public proceeding.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Parole Board is considering the application for a public hearing. As of September 19, 2026, no final decision on that request has been publicly announced, and no date for Venables’ parole hearing has been confirmed.

Any decision on release would ultimately depend on the Parole Board’s assessment of the evidence and the risk-management arrangements surrounding Venables.

The case remains subject to strict anonymity protections because of Venables’ status as a former child offender.

For James Bulger’s family, however, the upcoming proceedings represent another difficult confrontation with a case that began more than 33 years ago.

The parole process is continuing, while the question of whether the hearing itself should be opened to the public remains under consideration.