JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE BID — JAMES BULGER’S MUM DEMANDS A PUBLIC HEARING AFTER YEARS OF SECRECY

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, one of his killers is once again at the center of a parole battle — while James’s mother, Denise Fergus, is fighting for greater transparency.

Jon Venables, now 43, has been granted another oral parole hearing after his previous bid for release was rejected in 2023.

The latest development has prompted Denise and her family to make a fresh request for the hearing to be held in public, arguing that greater transparency would help them understand how decisions about Venables’ future are being made.

 ANOTHER PAROLE BID

Venables and Robert Thompson were both 10 years old when they abducted James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993.

James was later found dead.

Venables was released on licence in 2001 after serving time in secure youth accommodation.

His return to prison later became a major part of the continuing controversy surrounding his release.

He was recalled in 2010 after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children and was recalled again after a second conviction in 2017.

His previous parole bid was rejected in 2023, when the Parole Board concluded that he continued to pose a danger and could go on to offend again.

DENISE FERGUS WANTS THE HEARING OPENED

In August 2026, the Parole Board confirmed that it had received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus asking for Venables’ upcoming hearing to be made public.

Their application argues that the case has exceptional public interest and that a public hearing could provide a better understanding of the parole process.

They also argue that greater transparency could help address misinformation surrounding the case, which they say continues to retraumatise the family.

The application says a public hearing would allow the family and other victims to better understand how evidence, risk assessments and release plans are examined.

It also argues that the hearing could demonstrate how the parole system makes decisions in a case involving repeated recalls to custody and complex anonymity and public-protection issues.

 WHY HIS IDENTITY REMAINS PROTECTED

Venables and Thompson were given new identities after their release from custody.

The protection of Venables’ identity remains a highly sensitive issue because of the extraordinary public attention surrounding the case.

The Parole Board considered a similar request for a public hearing in 2023 but did not grant it.

The board’s previous decision noted concerns that publicly discussing sensitive information could potentially lead to Venables being identified. It also said the normal position is for parole hearings to take place privately.

The new application therefore represents another attempt to bring greater public scrutiny to the process.

THE BULGER FAMILY HAS ALSO APPLIED

The Parole Board confirmed that a separate application was submitted by legal representatives for Jimmy and Ralph Bulger, James’s family members.

That application also calls for a public hearing.

It highlights the exceptional nature of the case, including James’s murder, Venables’ later convictions, repeated recalls to custody and the complicated issues surrounding anonymity, risk management and potential release.

The applicants argue that simply allowing observers to attend a private hearing would not provide the same level of transparency.

They have suggested that sensitive evidence could still be handled privately while other parts of the hearing were opened to public scrutiny.

DENISE: “I’VE GOT TO STAND UP”

Denise Fergus has previously described parole hearings as emotionally draining, but has said she feels compelled to attend and speak for her son.

In January, she called for changes to the law so that offenders who repeatedly breach licence conditions should face stricter limits on future parole opportunities.

She also expressed concern about what could happen if Venables were released again.

For Denise, the latest hearing is not simply another legal proceeding.

It brings back memories of the loss of her two-year-old son — while forcing the family once again to follow decisions made behind a system that has traditionally operated largely away from public view.

WILL THE HEARING ACTUALLY BE PUBLIC?

That remains undecided.

The Parole Board’s August 2026 publication was an application for a public hearing, not an announcement that the request had been granted. Representations were invited, with the deadline for the Fergus family’s application set for August 14 and the deadline for the separate family application set for September 10.

The eventual decision will determine whether the public can observe any part of the hearing.

For the Bulger family, however, the latest development has already reopened a painful chapter that has followed them for more than 30 years.

And once again, the question is not only whether Jon Venables could eventually be released — but how much of the process the public, and James Bulger’s family, will be allowed to see.