JON VENABLES FACES FRESH PAROLE BID AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY FIGHTS FOR PUBLIC HEARING

Jon Venables is facing another bid for release from prison, while the family of murdered toddler James Bulger is fighting for greater transparency over the parole process.

Venables, one of the two boys convicted of the 1993 murder of two-year-old James Bulger, is due to have his latest case considered by the Parole Board more than two years after his previous attempt to secure release was rejected.

But this time, James’ mother Denise Fergus and her husband, Stuart, are seeking to have the parole hearing held in public.

The Parole Board confirmed in August that it had received the couple’s application, arguing that the exceptional history of the case and Venables’ subsequent offending make greater public scrutiny appropriate.

A separate application has also been submitted on behalf of James’ father, Ralph Bulger, and uncle, Jimmy Bulger, who are likewise seeking a public hearing.

FAMILY CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY

In their application, Denise and Stuart Fergus argued that a public hearing could improve understanding of how parole decisions are made and how risks are assessed.

They also said the continuing public discussion surrounding the case and misinformation circulating online had contributed to renewed distress for the family.

The couple argued that a public hearing would allow the parole process to be observed while still protecting sensitive information through measures such as reporting restrictions and private sessions where necessary.

They also pointed to Venables’ later convictions as an exceptional feature of the case.

The separate application made on behalf of Ralph and Jimmy Bulger similarly argued that the case raises wider questions about risk assessment, release planning, anonymity and the management of offenders following previous recalls to prison.

The applicants suggested that a hybrid hearing, with sensitive evidence considered privately while other parts were opened to public observation, could provide greater transparency without compromising necessary protections.

VENABLES’ PREVIOUS PAROLE BID WAS REJECTED

Venables’ last major parole bid was rejected in 2023.

At the time, the Parole Board said it was not satisfied that releasing him would be safe for public protection.

The panel raised concerns about his ability to be open and honest with professionals and said he still needed to address outstanding areas of risk.

The 2023 hearing was held behind closed doors.

Because Venables and Robert Thompson were only 10 years old when they murdered James, longstanding legal protections have been in place to prevent their identities from being disclosed.

Those anonymity protections remain in force.

RELEASED — THEN RECALLED TO PRISON

Venables was released on licence in July 2001, around eight years after he and Thompson were sentenced for James’ murder.

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

He was released again in 2013, but was recalled for a second time in 2017 following another offence involving indecent images of children.

He has remained in custody since that recall.

The history of his recalls has become a central part of the concerns surrounding his continued detention and any future decision about release.

In its 2023 decision, the Parole Board said there were continuing concerns around sexual preoccupation and the risk of further offending.

DENISE FERGUS WILL BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE HEARING

The latest parole process has already reopened painful memories for James’ family.

When Venables’ previous parole hearing was held in private, James’ family could not attend.

Changes to parole procedures have since allowed victims and their families to observe private parole hearings in certain circumstances.

When the latest hearing was announced in January 2026, ITV reported that Denise Fergus had been granted permission to observe it. At that stage, the exact date of the hearing had not been publicly confirmed.

Her representative said the process once again forced Denise to confront the trauma surrounding her son’s murder.

THE MURDER THAT SHOCKED BRITAIN

James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

Venables and Thompson, both aged 10, were convicted of his murder.

The case became one of Britain’s most closely followed criminal cases, particularly because of the ages of the two children responsible.

The pair were later given new identities and lifelong anonymity protections after their release from custody.

The protections have remained a controversial aspect of the case, particularly as Venables later returned to prison for further offences.

WILL THE HEARING BE PUBLIC?

For now, there is no final decision that Venables’ upcoming parole hearing will be public.

The Parole Board’s published information makes clear that parole hearings normally remain private. Applications for public hearings are considered separately, with the Chair of the Parole Board deciding whether opening proceedings to the public is in the interests of justice.

The Board published the Fergus family’s application in August and invited representations on whether the hearing should be made public.

The application deadline has now passed, and the matter remains subject to a decision by the Parole Board.

Whatever decision is eventually made, the latest parole process is once again placing the decades-old case under intense scrutiny.

For Denise Fergus, the process is not simply another legal proceeding.

It is another chapter in the continuing aftermath of the death of her two-year-old son — a case that has remained one of Britain’s most painful and closely watched criminal stories f