Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, has failed in his latest bid for parole after the Parole Board ruled he remains a danger to children. The board concluded that releasing him would not be safe for the public, citing his ongoing sexual interest in children and risk of reoffending.
Venables was 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted, tortured and murdered James in Bootle, Merseyside in 1993. He was released on licence in 2001 but was recalled to prison in 2010 and again in 2017 after being found in possession of indecent images of children. The Parole Board noted that despite participating in prison programmes, he had accepted a long-term sexual interest in children and had a history of drug use and breaching licence conditions by secretly using the internet.
The panel expressed concern about 'continuing issues of sexual preoccupation' and warned of future risks of viewing child sexual abuse material and potentially progressing to contact offences. It doubted Venables' ability to be open with professionals and said he still needed to address risk levels and develop his relationship with his probation officer.
James Bulger's family welcomed the decision. A spokeswoman for his mother, Denise Fergus, said the prospect of Venables' release was 'terrifying' as they knew he would harm again. His father, Ralph Bulger, and uncle, Jimmy Bulger, said they were 'relieved' but criticised the Ministry of Justice for being 'hostile' ahead of the hearing and failing to admit a memorandum about the sexual element of James' murder to the parole panel.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said public protection was the government's priority and that he opposed Venables' release. The Parole Board's decision means Venables will be eligible for another review in about two years.
