“JUSTICE, AT LAST?” — DENISE FERGUS FACES ANOTHER PAINFUL JON VENABLES PAROLE BATTLE

More than three decades after her two-year-old son James was murdered, Denise Fergus is once again being forced to confront the parole system.

Jon Venables, one of the two boys convicted of James Bulger’s murder, is facing another parole hearing in 2026 — more than two years after his previous bid for release was rejected.

But this time, Denise will be watching.

The Parole Board has granted her permission to observe the hearing, allowing James’s mother to witness the process that could determine whether Venables remains behind bars.

THE CASE THAT SHOCKED BRITAIN

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

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

The case horrified Britain and became one of the country’s most infamous crimes involving children.

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

But Venables later returned to prison after child-abuse images were found on his computer in 2010 and again in 2017.

THE LAST PAROLE DECISION

In 2023, Venables’ parole bid was rejected.

The Parole Board concluded that he still posed a danger to children and could go on to offend again.

For Denise, the decision brought an extraordinary sense of relief after years of fear.

She said at the time that she finally felt she had been listened to after decades of campaigning for justice for her son.

But the relief did not last forever.

Another parole hearing was eventually scheduled for 2026.

And Denise says repeatedly having to face the process has taken a huge emotional toll.

NOW DENISE WANTS THE HEARING OPEN

In August 2026, the Parole Board confirmed that Denise and her husband, Stuart Fergus, had applied for Venables’ hearing to be held in public.

They argued that the case has extraordinary public interest and that greater transparency could help address misinformation surrounding it.

They also said a public hearing could help victims and their families better understand how parole decisions are made and how risk is assessed.

The family of James’s father has also sought a public hearing.

However, the application itself does not mean the hearing will automatically be public. The Parole Board must consider the request and determine whether the legal safeguards can be met.

A MOTHER WHO HAS NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING

For Denise, this is not simply another legal proceeding.

It is another reminder of the son she lost in one of Britain’s most notorious cases.

James should have grown up.

He should have gone to school, made friends, built a career and lived an ordinary life.

Instead, his name has remained forever connected to a crime that shocked the nation.

And more than 30 years later, his mother is still fighting to make sure he is never forgotten.

The latest parole process has not yet resulted in a confirmed decision to release or keep Venables in prison.

For Denise, that means the waiting continues.

And once again, she must prepare herself to hear what the Parole Board decides about the man convicted of murdering her little boy.