JON VENABLES TO FACE PRIVATE PAROLE HEARING DESPITE PLEA FROM JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY

LONDON — Jon Venables, one of the two boys convicted of killing two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, will have his latest parole hearing held in private next month, despite a request from James’s family and several media organizations for the proceedings to be opened to the public.

Venables, now 44, is seeking release more than three years after the Parole Board rejected his previous bid for freedom.

The decision to keep the upcoming hearing private was announced by the Parole Board on September 28, 2026. A judicial member acting on behalf of the Board’s chair rejected an application for members of the public to observe the hearing.

WHY THE HEARING WILL REMAIN PRIVATE

Parole hearings in England and Wales are normally conducted behind closed doors, although the law allows a hearing to be opened to the public when the Board considers that doing so would be in the interests of justice.

James’s mother, Denise Fergus, had argued that a public hearing could help address what she described as misinformation surrounding the case and allow the public to better understand how parole decisions are made.

Her application said the case had significant public interest and that public scrutiny could demonstrate that parole decisions were based on evidence and could withstand scrutiny. James’s father, Stuart Fergus, was also involved in the application.

However, the Parole Board concluded that the threshold for making the hearing public had not been met.

The Board said a public hearing could make it difficult for Venables to give evidence because of concerns that people seeking information about his whereabouts or identity could be listening with the intention of causing him harm.

JAMES BULGER WAS TWO YEARS OLD

James Bulger was abducted from the New Strand shopping center in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

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

The case became one of the most closely followed child murder cases in modern British history.

Because both offenders were children when the crime occurred, they were initially given lifelong anonymity. Thompson has since been released under a new identity, while Venables remains subject to a lifelong anonymity order.

VENABLES HAS BEEN RECALLED TO PRISON TWICE

Venables was released on licence in 2001 after serving part of his sentence.

He was recalled to prison in 2010 after child sexual abuse images were discovered on a computer associated with him.

He was released again in 2013, but was recalled in 2017 after another offense involving indecent images of children.

His parole case was considered again in 2020, and his most recent application for release was rejected in 2023.

At that time, the Parole Board concluded that he continued to pose a risk and could commit further offenses.

FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO OBSERVE

Although the hearing will not be open to the general public, reforms introduced in England and Wales allow victims and their representatives to attend certain private parole hearings.

A representative for Denise Fergus previously confirmed that her application to observe the hearing had been granted.

James’s family will therefore be able to listen to the proceedings remotely and provide victim-impact information, although Venables’ identity will remain protected by the anonymity order.

The family has expressed deep disappointment over the decision to keep the hearing private.

A family source told The Sun that James’s parents were “angry beyond belief” and felt that their concerns had once again not been heard. Those comments represent the family’s view of the decision rather than an official finding by the Parole Board.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Venables’ parole hearing is expected to take place next month.

The panel will consider whether he can safely be released under licence or whether he should remain in custody.

The upcoming hearing does not itself guarantee release. The Parole Board will assess the evidence surrounding his current risk and whether any proposed release conditions would adequately protect the public.

For James Bulger’s family, the hearing represents another chapter in a case that has continued for more than three decades.

The Parole Board’s decision to keep the proceedings private means the public will not be able to observe the hearing directly, although a decision or summary may be published after the case has been determined.