JON VENABLES FACES FRESH PAROLE REVIEW AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY PUSHES FOR PUBLIC HEARING

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, one of his killers, Jon Venables, is facing another parole review — reopening a painful chapter for James’s family.

Venables, now 43, is being considered by the Parole Board more than two years after his previous bid for release was rejected.

At the same time, James Bulger’s family has formally asked for the upcoming oral parole hearing to be held in public, arguing that greater transparency could help the public understand how the decision is reached.

The application remains pending. No decision has been announced on whether the hearing will actually be opened to the public.

THE 1993 MURDER THAT SHOCKED BRITAIN

Venables and Robert Thompson were both 10 years old when they abducted James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

James was later murdered.

The case became one of the most widely known child murder cases in modern British history.

Venables and Thompson were detained indefinitely during Her Majesty’s Pleasure and were eventually released on licence in 2001 after serving time in secure youth accommodation.

VENABLES WAS LATER RECALLED TO PRISON

Venables was released on licence in July 2001 but was later recalled to prison after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

He was released again in 2013 before being recalled for a second time in 2017 after another conviction relating to indecent images of children.

His parole position has therefore remained subject to repeated assessments of risk and public protection.

In 2023, the Parole Board rejected an application for release, finding that Venables continued to pose a risk of serious harm.

His latest parole review now brings the issue back before the board.

JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY WANTS THE HEARING OPENED

In August 2026, Denise and Stuart Fergus, James’s mother and stepfather, formally applied for the upcoming oral hearing to be made public.

The Parole Board published the application on August 7.

The family argues that the case is of exceptional public interest and that a public hearing could provide greater understanding of how risk, evidence and release arrangements are assessed.

They also argue that greater transparency could help address misinformation surrounding the case.

A separate application was also submitted on behalf of James’s father, Ralph Bulger, and brother Jimmy Bulger.

That application similarly argues that the public should be able to understand how the Parole Board examines evidence, professional assessments and the management of risk in such an exceptional case.

THE HEARING HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE PUBLIC

Despite the applications, the Parole Board has not announced that Venables’ hearing will be held publicly.

Under the current system, parole hearings normally remain private, although applications can be made for exceptional cases to be heard in public.

The Parole Board says such applications are considered by its chair, with representations sought from those involved before a decision is made.

As of the latest published information, the Venables public-hearing application remains listed among pending applications.

DENISE FERGUS WILL BE ABLE TO OBSERVE

Although a public hearing has not been approved, Denise Fergus has been granted permission to observe the parole hearing.

She has previously described the parole process as deeply distressing because it repeatedly forces her to revisit the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.

In January, Fergus said she hoped the system would take into account Venables’ original conviction and his later offending when considering whether he should be released.

The Independent reported that the latest parole hearing would take place more than two years after Venables’ previous unsuccessful bid, although a specific date had not been confirmed.

HIS IDENTITY REMAINS PROTECTED

Because of the lifelong anonymity protections surrounding Venables, details that could identify his current identity or whereabouts remain restricted.

The anonymity order has been maintained for his protection since his release from custody as a young adult.

That means that while the Parole Board can examine his circumstances and risk, the public cannot expect the proceedings to reveal his current identity.

A NEW CHAPTER IN A CASE THAT HAS NEVER LEFT THE PUBLIC EYE

The upcoming parole review does not itself mean Venables will be released.

The Parole Board must assess whether continued detention is necessary for public protection and consider evidence presented during the review.

For James Bulger’s family, however, the process represents another painful confrontation with a case that began more than 30 years ago.

The central questions now are whether Venables should remain in prison and, separately, whether the public will eventually be allowed to observe the parole process.

For the moment, both decisions remain unresolved.