JON VENABLES COULD FACE A PUBLIC PAROLE HEARING — JAMES BULGER’S MUM MAKES A FRESH BID

More than 30 years after two-year-old James Bulger was murdered, his mother Denise Fergus is pushing for the parole process involving his killer to be opened to the public.

More than three decades after the murder of toddler James Bulger, a new legal battle is unfolding over whether the parole hearing of his killer, Jon Venables, should finally be opened to the public.

James’s mother, Denise Fergus, and her husband, Stuart, have applied for the Parole Board hearing to be held in public — arguing that transparency could help the family and the wider public understand how the decision over Venables’ future is being made.

The Parole Board confirmed the application in August 2026.

“FACE UP TO HIS OFFENDING”

According to the official summary published by the UK government, Denise and Stuart Fergus argue that there is significant public interest in the case and that a public hearing could improve understanding of the parole process.

They also say the case has generated extensive discussion on social media, with misinformation adding to the family’s trauma.

One of their central arguments is that Venables should have to “face up to his offending” through a public hearing.

The couple also point to Venables’ later convictions as an adult, arguing that these make the case particularly exceptional and deserving of public scrutiny.

For Denise, the issue is deeply personal.

Every new parole process forces James’s family to revisit the events of 1993 — when their two-year-old son was abducted and murdered.

JAMES BULGER WAS ONLY TWO

James disappeared from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

CCTV footage captured the moment the toddler was led away by two 10-year-old boys — Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.

The pair were later convicted of James’s murder, becoming the youngest people in England and Wales to be convicted of murder.

The case shocked Britain and has remained one of the country’s most notorious criminal cases.

James’s parents have spent decades campaigning for their son to be remembered while following every development concerning the two offenders.

VENABLES HAS BEEN RECALLED TO PRISON TWICE

Venables was released on licence in 2001 after serving the minimum term imposed following his conviction.

He was later recalled to prison in 2010 after being convicted of offences involving indecent images of children.

He was recalled again in 2017 and has remained in custody since then.

Previous parole reviews have rejected his release.

The Parole Board said in December 2023 that it was not satisfied that releasing him at that point would be safe for the protection of the public.

THE FAMILY WANTS THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE PROCESS

The latest application is not simply about whether Venables should be released.

It is also about how the parole decision itself is made.

Denise and Stuart Fergus argue that allowing the public to observe the hearing would provide greater transparency around issues such as risk assessment, professional evidence and proposed supervision arrangements.

They also say it could help restore confidence in the parole system.

The official government summary states that the couple believe a public hearing could allow them and other victims to better understand the decision-making process and feel more involved.

JAMES’S FATHER ALSO WANTS A PUBLIC HEARING

A separate application has also been made on behalf of Ralph Bulger, James’s father, and James’s brother.

That application argues that the case is exceptional because it involves the murder of a child by children, Venables’ subsequent offending as an adult, repeated recalls to custody and complex questions surrounding anonymity, risk management and possible release arrangements.

The applicants argue that simply allowing observers into a private hearing would not provide the same level of transparency as a genuinely public proceeding.

THE DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE

Importantly, the application for a public hearing does not mean the hearing has been granted.

The Parole Board must decide whether the legal requirements for a public hearing are met.

The board has invited representations on the application, with the official government notice setting a deadline of August 14, 2026.

That means the next major question is not only whether Venables will remain behind bars.

It is whether the public — and James’s family — will be allowed to see how the parole decision is reached.

MORE THAN 30 YEARS LATER

James Bulger would now be in his 30s.

But for his family, the little boy taken from them in 1993 remains at the center of their lives.

The latest parole battle has once again brought his name into the headlines — not because the tragedy itself has changed, but because the legal process surrounding the man convicted of his murder continues decades later.

For Denise Fergus, a public hearing would offer something she says the family has long been denied: the opportunity to see the process for themselves.

And after more than 30 years, the question surrounding Jon Venables is once again before the authorities:

Will his next parole hearing take place behind closed doors — or will the public finally be allowed to watch?