JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE HEARING AS JAMES BULGER’S MOTHER’S BID FOR PUBLIC HEARING IS REJECTED

Jon Venables, one of the two men convicted of killing two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, is set to face another parole hearing — but the proceedings will take place behind closed doors.

The Parole Board has rejected an application from James’s mother, Denise Fergus, and other parties who wanted the hearing to be made public.

Venables, now 44, will have his case considered at an oral hearing more than two years after his previous parole bid was rejected.

PAROLE HEARING WILL REMAIN PRIVATE

Parole hearings in England and Wales are normally held in private, although the Parole Board can allow public access when it considers that doing so would be in the interests of justice.

In August, Denise Fergus and her husband Stuart applied for Venables’ hearing to be opened to the public.

Their application argued that the extraordinary nature of the case and the continuing public interest justified greater transparency.

They also said a public hearing could help address misinformation surrounding James’s case and give victims a better understanding of how parole decisions are made.

The Parole Board has now rejected that request.

In its decision, the Board said a public hearing could make it extremely difficult for Venables to give evidence because of continuing threats to his life.

John Saunders, deciding on behalf of the Board Chair, said the high threshold required for a public hearing had not been met.

DENISE FERGUS HAD WANTED GREATER TRANSPARENCY

Denise Fergus has repeatedly spoken about the continuing impact of her son’s killing.

In her application, she argued that a public hearing could help the public understand how the parole system assesses risk and manages offenders.

She also said that greater transparency could help counter misinformation that continues to circulate about the case.

The application stated that a public hearing would allow her and other victims to better understand the decision-making process and feel more involved in the justice system.

Although the hearing will remain private, Denise Fergus has been granted permission to observe the proceedings under reforms allowing victims to attend private parole hearings.

THE 1993 KILLING OF JAMES BULGER

James Bulger was two years old when he was abducted from the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10 at the time, were convicted of James’s murder later that year.

The case became one of Britain’s most closely followed child-crime cases.

Both boys were detained indefinitely at Her Majesty’s Pleasure, the sentence then used for children convicted of murder.

Venables was released on licence in 2001 but was subsequently recalled to prison after being found in possession of indecent images of children.

He was released again in 2013 and recalled for a second time in 2017 following another offence involving indecent images.

HIS LAST PAROLE BID WAS REJECTED

Venables’ previous parole application was rejected in 2023.

At that time, the Parole Board concluded that he continued to pose a risk of committing further offences, including offences against children.

His latest application will therefore be considered against the background of his original conviction and his subsequent recalls to prison.

The new hearing does not mean that Venables will automatically be released.

The Parole Board must assess the evidence and determine whether his release can be safely managed in the community.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The exact date of the new oral hearing has not been publicly disclosed.

The proceedings will take place privately, although victims can now attend private parole hearings under reforms introduced nationally in April 2026.

The Parole Board’s decision on whether Venables should remain in prison or be released will come after the panel has considered the evidence presented during the hearing.

For Denise Fergus, the latest development brings back a painful chapter that has remained part of her life for more than three decades.

For now, however, the public will not be able to observe the hearing itself.

The Parole Board has decided that the case will remain behind closed doors, citing the need to protect the integrity of Venables’ evidence and his safety.