JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE BID AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY FIGHTS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING

More than three decades after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, his mother Denise Fergus is once again fighting for greater transparency as her son’s killer Jon Venables faces another parole review.

Venables, who was 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted and killed James in 1993, is now 43 and remains in prison.

His latest parole review comes more than two years after the Parole Board rejected an earlier application for release, concluding in 2023 that releasing him at that time would not be safe for the protection of the public.

But this time, the focus is not only on whether Venables could eventually be released.

James Bulger’s family is also seeking to have the parole hearing itself opened to the public.

FAMILY SEEKS PUBLIC HEARING

In August 2026, the Parole Board confirmed that it had received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus, James’s mother and stepfather, asking for Venables’ oral parole hearing to be held in public.

A separate application was submitted by the legal representatives of James’s father, Ralph Bulger, and his uncle, Jimmy Bulger.

The applications argue that the case is exceptional because of the original murder, Venables’ later offending, his repeated recalls to prison and the continuing questions surrounding risk management and his eventual release.

The family also argues that a public hearing could help the public understand how the Parole Board assesses risk and reaches its decisions.

They say greater transparency could also help address misinformation surrounding the case and give victims’ relatives a better understanding of the process.

However, the hearing has not been approved for public attendance at this stage.

The Parole Board’s rules state that parole hearings normally take place in private. A public hearing can only be ordered when the Chair determines that doing so is in the interests of justice.

WHY VENABLES REMAINS IN PRISON

Venables and Thompson were convicted of abducting and murdering James Bulger after taking the two-year-old from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

Both boys were 10 years old at the time.

Venables was released on licence in 2001, but was recalled to prison in 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

He was released again in 2013 before being recalled in 2017 for another offence involving indecent images of children.

The Parole Board considered his case again in 2023 and refused release.

According to the published decision summary, the panel was concerned about continuing issues involving his sexual preoccupation and the possibility of future offending. It also questioned whether he could be sufficiently open and honest with professionals responsible for managing his risk.

The panel concluded that there remained risks that he could return to viewing child sexual abuse material or progress to offences involving contact with children.

A LONGSTANDING ANONYMITY ORDER

One of the most unusual aspects of the case is that Venables’ identity remains protected by a lifelong anonymity order.

The order was imposed because he and Thompson were children when they committed the murder.

That protection means that, even though Venables’ name is now widely known publicly, the media cannot legally publish information that could identify his current whereabouts or reveal his new identity.

The anonymity issue has also affected the parole process.

When Venables’ previous parole hearing was held in 2023, it took place behind closed doors. James’s family could not attend the hearing itself, although a representative for the victims was permitted to listen to part of the proceedings.

The current applications for a public hearing specifically address how transparency could be balanced with the legal protections surrounding Venables’ identity.

The Bulger family’s representatives have suggested that safeguards could include screens, anonymity protections and private sessions for sensitive evidence.

THE 2023 PAROLE DECISION

Venables’ previous attempt to secure release ended in December 2023.

The Parole Board said it had considered his original offending, his progress in custody and on licence and the evidence contained in his parole dossier.

The panel concluded that release at that point would not be safe for the protection of the public.

It also identified concerns about his ability to be completely open with professionals and said further work was required to address outstanding risks.

James’s family subsequently expressed relief at the decision.

But the possibility of another parole review has reopened painful memories for Denise Fergus.

In 2026, a spokesperson for Fergus said the latest process had forced her to confront the trauma surrounding her son’s murder once again.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Parole Board has invited representations concerning the applications for a public hearing.

According to the official notice, representations concerning the application submitted by Denise and Stuart Fergus were initially due by August 14, 2026, while representations concerning the application from Jimmy and Ralph Bulger’s legal representative were due by September 10.

The Chair of the Parole Board will ultimately decide whether the hearing should be made public.

The Board’s guidance makes clear that privacy remains the normal position because parole panels need to hear potentially sensitive evidence openly, including information about victims and risk assessments.

For the Bulger family, however, the issue is about more than simply watching a parole hearing.

They argue that after decades of secrecy surrounding Venables’ identity and repeated parole proceedings, greater transparency would allow the public to understand how decisions about his risk and possible release are made.

For now, no public hearing has been authorised.

And as Venables approaches another parole review, the question remains whether the proceedings will once again take place entirely behind closed doors — or whether this exceptional case will finally be opened to public scrutiny.