JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE HEARING — JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER PRIVATE REVIEW DECISION

ThanhThuy
October 14, 2026

JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE HEARING — JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER PRIVATE REVIEW DECISION

The latest parole bid involving one of Britain’s most notorious child murder cases has sparked renewed anger, with James Bulger’s family reportedly considering legal action after being told they cannot attend the hearing as previously expected.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND — More than three decades after the death of two-year-old James Bulger, the case has returned to the headlines as his killer, Jon Venables, faces another parole review behind closed doors.

The Parole Board ruled in September that Venables’ latest hearing would remain private, rejecting requests from James’s mother, Denise Fergus, and media organisations for the proceedings to be opened to public observation. The decision has prompted renewed questions about transparency, victims’ rights and how parole decisions are made in exceptionally sensitive cases. The controversy intensified this week after The Sun reported that lawyers representing Denise Fergus had written to justice authorities seeking an explanation for the decision. The newspaper said the family had been led to expect that they would be able to attend, only to be informed that access would not be permitted.

WHY THE HEARING WILL BE PRIVATE

Parole hearings in England and Wales are generally held in private, although the Parole Board can permit public observation when it considers that doing so would serve the interests of justice.

In its decision published on September 28, the Board concluded that the threshold for a public hearing had not been met. It cited concerns that a public setting could make it difficult for Venables to give evidence safely because of the risk that people seeking information about him might pose a threat to his life.

Denise Fergus had argued that public access could improve understanding of the parole process and help address misinformation surrounding the case. She also said the continued circulation of inaccurate claims had a retraumatising effect on her.

A CASE THAT HAS HAUNTED BRITAIN FOR DECADES

Venables and Robert Thompson were both ten years old when they abducted James from the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993. The two-year-old was later found dead, and both boys were convicted of his murder.

Venables was released on licence in 2001. He was returned to prison in 2010 after child sexual abuse images were found on his computer, and was recalled again in 2017 following a further offence involving such material.

His previous parole bid was rejected in 2023, when the Board concluded that he continued to pose a risk.

COULD HE BE RELEASED?

The new hearing does not mean Venables will automatically be released. The Parole Board must assess the relevant evidence and risks before reaching a decision.

Reports have described the latest review as a four-day hearing scheduled for October 2026. However, the outcome and any decision about release should not be treated as confirmed until the appropriate authorities announce it.

The case continues to raise difficult questions about balancing public safety, the protection of a prisoner’s identity and the rights of victims’ families to understand decisions that profoundly affect them.

For Denise Fergus and her family, the latest dispute has reopened painful memories of a loss that changed their lives forever.

As the parole process moves forward, the central question remains: how can the system protect the public while ensuring that victims’ families feel heard and informed?

Sources