JON VENABLES FACES FRESH PAROLE BATTLE AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY DEMANDS PUBLIC HEARING

James Bulger’s mother Denise Fergus and her husband Stuart have launched a fresh bid to have Jon Venables’ upcoming parole hearing held in public — arguing that greater transparency is needed after decades of secrecy surrounding the case.

The Parole Board has confirmed it received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus asking for Venables’ parole hearing to be made public.

A separate application has also been submitted on behalf of James Bulger’s father Ralph Bulger and uncle Jimmy Bulger.

The applications argue that the extraordinary history of the case, Venables’ later offending and the continuing questions surrounding risk and release make it a matter of significant public interest.

A FRESH FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY

According to the Parole Board, Denise and Stuart Fergus say a public hearing could improve understanding of the parole process and help address misinformation surrounding the case.

They also argue that Venables should have to confront his offending in a public hearing, particularly because he committed further serious offences as an adult.

The family says greater scrutiny could help explain how the Parole Board assesses risk, considers professional evidence and reaches decisions about whether a prisoner can safely be released.

They also argue that a public hearing would allow the family and other victims to better understand the decision-making process.

The separate application made on behalf of Ralph and Jimmy Bulger similarly argues that the case raises wider questions about public protection, risk management, previous releases and recalls, and the safeguards surrounding Venables’ anonymity.

VENABLES’ PAROLE HISTORY

Venables and Robert Thompson were both 10 years old when they abducted two-year-old James Bulger from the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

James was subsequently murdered.

The two boys were detained indefinitely and later released on licence in 2001.

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

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

A previous Parole Board review in 2023 refused to release him, concluding that his release would not be safe at that time. The panel expressed concerns about his ability to be open with professionals and continuing risks identified in the evidence before it.

THE ANONYMITY BATTLE

One of the most unusual aspects of the case is that Venables continues to be protected by a lifelong anonymity order because he was a child when James was murdered.

That protection means his current identity cannot legally be published.

The Parole Board has previously refused an application