JON VENABLES COULD BE FREED WITHIN WEEKS — JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY FACES ANOTHER PAINFUL WAIT AS KILLER’S FOUR-DAY PAROLE HEARING LOOMS

One of the men convicted over the 1993 killing of two-year-old James Bulger could be released within weeks if the Parole Board approves his latest bid for freedom, with his family once again forced to confront a decision that has haunted them for decades.

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, his family is once again facing the possibility that one of the men convicted over his death could be released from prison.

Jon Venables, now 44, has been granted a fresh parole hearing, with four days set aside for the case later this month.

If the Parole Board decides that Venables can safely be released, he could potentially leave prison within weeks.

But no decision has yet been made.

And for James’s family, the hearing represents another painful chapter in a story they have been forced to relive repeatedly.

A FOUR-DAY HEARING

The length of the upcoming hearing has attracted particular attention.

According to The Sun, four days have been allocated for Venables’ latest freedom bid — twice the length of the previous hearing.

A source quoted by the newspaper described the development as “extremely worrying” for James’s family.

However, the length of a parole hearing does not itself indicate what decision the panel will make.

The Parole Board will consider evidence about Venables’ current risk and whether he can safely be managed in the community.

THE HEARING WILL BE PRIVATE

James’s mother Denise Fergus and other parties had asked for the hearing to be held publicly.

The Parole Board rejected that request in September.

In its official decision, the Board said the legal threshold for a public hearing had not been met. It also noted concerns that a public hearing could make it difficult for Venables to give evidence safely because of threats to his life.

The hearing will therefore take place in private.

Under reforms introduced earlier this year, however, victims can attend private parole hearings.

Denise Fergus has been granted permission to observe the proceedings.

 JAMES WAS JUST TWO YEARS OLD

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

Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10 at the time, were convicted of his murder.

The case shocked Britain and became one of the country’s most widely remembered criminal cases.

Both boys were eventually released on licence in 2001 under new identities and lifelong anonymity protections.

But Venables later returned to prison after breaching the conditions of his release.

 VENABLES HAS TWICE BEEN RECALLED TO PRISON

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

He was released again in 2013.

In 2017, he was recalled to prison for a second time after further offences involving indecent images of children.

His previous parole bid was rejected in 2023, with the Parole Board finding that he continued to pose a risk of further offending.

The latest hearing will therefore be his next major attempt to secure release.

 DENISE FERGUS FACES ANOTHER WAIT

For Denise Fergus, the latest hearing means another period of uncertainty surrounding the man convicted of killing her son.

She has previously spoken about how parole proceedings force her to revisit the trauma surrounding James’s death.

In January, she told ITV that she wanted the law changed so that offenders who repeatedly breach licence conditions should lose their opportunity for further parole.

Her application for a public hearing was partly motivated by a desire for greater transparency and to counter what she described as misinformation surrounding the case.

The Parole Board ultimately decided that the hearing should remain private.

 COULD VENABLES REALLY BE RELEASED WITHIN WEEKS?

That remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the case.

The answer depends entirely on the Parole Board’s assessment.

A hearing being scheduled does not mean that release has been approved.

The panel will have to consider whether Venables can be safely released and whether any risk can be properly managed in the community.

If release is approved, it could happen relatively soon.

If the panel decides that he remains too great a risk, he will remain in custody.

For now, neither outcome has been announced.

THREE DECADES LATER, THE PAIN REMAINS

More than 30 years have passed since James Bulger was taken from his family.

Yet for his parents and loved ones, the case continues to return to the headlines whenever Venables’ future is considered.

His latest parole hearing will once again place the family under intense scrutiny as they wait to learn whether he will remain behind bars.

For Denise Fergus, it is another reminder that while the rest of the country has moved through decades of change, the loss of her two-year-old son remains something she continues to live with every day.

Now, all eyes are on the Parole Board.

Will Jon Venables remain in prison — or could he be released within weeks?

The answer is expected after the private hearing concludes.