Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger, has said she has no doubt that Jon Venables will harm or kill again if he is released from prison. Her comments come as she and her husband Stuart fight for Venables' upcoming parole hearing to be held in public.
Venables, who was 10 when he tortured and murdered two-year-old James in 1993, is due for a new parole hearing. The couple has applied for it to be held in public after his last hearing was behind closed doors.
A mother's plea for justice
Denise told the Mirror: "Enough is enough. It’s time James’ killer faced up to justice and saw the trauma he has caused me and my family repeatedly... It is important everyone knows the real truth of his crimes and that he still poses the greatest danger to other families like ours and the wider public. I have no doubt that, if released, he will harm or kill again."
She added: "A public hearing would help explain how risk is assessed and managed by the parole board. It would also be a great opportunity for authorities to show just how rigorous the parole system is. A public hearing would not only allow justice to be seen to be done but we would finally feel listened to as a victim’s family."
Venables' criminal history
In February 1993, Venables and Robert Thompson, also 10 at the time, abducted James from a Merseyside shopping centre and murdered him. Venables, now in his 40s, was released on licence in 2001 from a life sentence, but was recalled in 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer. He was released again in 2013 but recalled in late 2017. In 2018, he was jailed for possessing child abuse images, admitting charges of making indecent images of children and having a paedophile manual.
In 2020, Venables was refused parole after an assessment. His bid for freedom was also rejected in 2023, with the Parole Board reportedly saying: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public. It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer."
Application for public hearing
Details published on the government's website by the Parole Board state: "The Parole Board has received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus for the Parole Board hearing in the case of Jon Venables to be heard in public." Reasons listed for the application include "significant public interest in the case" and that the couple "say they are exposed to extensive social media discussion about the case, and that greater transparency may help address misinformation, which is an issue that continues to have a retraumatising impact."
The couple also "argue that the prisoner should have to face up to his offending by way of a public hearing, especially given that he has committed further serious offences as an adult."
