JON VENABLES FACES ANOTHER PAROLE HEARING — MORE THAN 30 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER OF JAMES BULGER

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger shocked Britain, the name Jon Venables is once again at the center of a parole battle.

Venables was just 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

The case became one of the most notorious crimes in modern British history.

Now 43, Venables is facing another parole review — reopening a chapter that James’ family has repeatedly said brings back unimaginable trauma.

THE BOY WHO NEVER CAME HOME

James Bulger was only two when he was taken from a shopping centre.

Venables and Thompson, both 10 at the time, were later convicted of his abduction and murder.

The case shocked the country not only because of the brutality of the crime, but because the perpetrators themselves were children.

Both boys were eventually released on licence in 2001 after serving their minimum terms.

But Venables’ life after release would later become a major factor in repeated parole decisions.

THEN CAME THE SECOND CHANCE — AND ANOTHER CONVICTION

Venables was released from custody in July 2001.

In February 2010, however, he was recalled to prison after child sexual abuse material was discovered on his computer.

He was later released again in 2013.

Then, in 2017, he was recalled once more after being linked to another offence involving child sexual abuse material.

Those later offences have become a central part of the debate over whether he can ever safely be released again.

THE 2023 DECISION

Venables’ previous parole bid was rejected in 2023.

The Parole Board concluded that releasing him at that point would not be safe, with concerns that he remained a danger to children and could offend again.

More than two years later, his case has returned to the parole system.

And this time, James Bulger’s family is seeking greater transparency.

JAMES’ MOTHER WANTS THE HEARING OPEN

Denise Fergus, James’ mother, has applied for the parole hearing to be held in public.

The Parole Board confirmed in August 2026 that it had received the application from Denise and Stuart Fergus.

Their argument includes the extraordinary public interest surrounding the case, Venables’ later offending, repeated recalls to custody and the importance of allowing the parole process to be scrutinized.

They also argue that a public hearing could help counter misinformation and allow victims’ families to better understand how decisions about risk and release are made.

A separate application was also submitted by the legal representatives of James’ father, Ralph Bulger, and James’ brother, Jimmy.

THE QUESTION THAT HAS NEVER REALLY GONE AWAY

For James’ family, the issue is not simply whether Venables has changed since he was a child.

It is whether the repeated history of offending, recalls to custody and previous parole decisions should continue to affect the question of whether he can safely live in the community.

For more than 30 years, the Bulger family has had to live with the consequences of what happened to James.

And each new parole hearing forces them to confront the case all over again.

The Parole Board has emphasized that parole decisions are about whether an offender can safely be managed in the community — not about reopening the original conviction.

But for James’ family, those decisions remain deeply personal.

Because James never got the chance to grow up.

And more than 30 years later, his family is still being asked to face the consequences of what happened to him.