JAMES BULGER’S MUM MAKES A FRESH BID TO BRING JON VENABLES’ PAROLE HEARING INTO PUBLIC VIEW

More than 30 years after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, his mother Denise Fergus has made another attempt to challenge the secrecy surrounding Jon Venables’ parole process.

Denise and her husband, Stuart Fergus, have formally applied for Venables’ forthcoming parole hearing to be held in public, arguing that the exceptional history of the case demands greater transparency.

WHY DOES DENISE WANT THE HEARING OPEN?

The family’s application argues that there is significant public interest in the case.

They say a public hearing could help the public understand:

How parole decisions are made

How risk is assessed and managed

Why particular decisions are reached

And whether the parole system can withstand public scrutiny

The family also points to Venables’ subsequent convictions as an adult as an exceptional feature of the case.

BUT THE HEARING HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC — YET

This is the crucial point.

The Parole Board has confirmed receiving the application, but it has not granted it.

The application entered a representations process before a decision is made.

In other words, Denise’s latest move is a challenge to the existing level of secrecy — not proof that the hearing will definitely be opened.

 VENABLES’ IDENTITY REMAINS PROTECTED

Even if the request were granted, that would not automatically mean Venables’ protected identity could be publicly revealed.

A lifelong injunction continues to restrict publication of information capable of identifying him, including images, voice recordings and whereabouts.

The Parole Board previously rejected a separate application for a public hearing in October 2023.

That makes the new application particularly significant.

FOR DENISE, THIS IS ABOUT BEING HEARD

The family says a public hearing could help them better understand the decision-making process and increase confidence in the justice system.

They also say that if the application succeeds, they are prepared for the hearing to take place in public.

For Denise, this is not simply another procedural dispute.

It comes more than three decades after James was abducted and murdered in one of Britain’s most notorious child murder cases.

 VENABLES’ PAROLE HISTORY

Venables and Robert Thompson were convicted of James Bulger’s murder in 1993.

Venables was released on licence in 2001 but was later recalled to prison after child-abuse material was discovered.

He was recalled again in 2017 following another offence involving indecent images of children.

His previous parole applications were unsuccessful, and he remains in prison.

THE NEXT STAGE

The latest application has now put transparency back at the center of the case.

The forthcoming parole hearing is expected no earlier than September 2026, according to reporting.

Until the Parole Board makes its decision, however, the question remains open:

Will the public be allowed to see how the decision about Venables’ future is made?

 JAMES WAS ONLY TWO.

 HIS MOTHER IS NOW DEMANDING GREATER TRANSPARENCY.

 THE PAROLE BOARD MUST DECIDE WHETHER THE HEARING SHOULD BE OPENED.

AND VENABLES’ IDENTITY REMAINS LEGALLY PROTECTED.

For the Bulger family, this latest application represents another attempt to ensure that their voice is not lost behind the closed doors of the parole system.

Independent commentary based on publicly available Parole Board and court reporting. The application for a public hearing has not been granted, and no identifying information about Jon Venables is provided.