Jon Venables, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, has been denied parole following a hearing at Leeds Crown Court. The Parole Board panel, chaired by a judge, concluded that Venables still poses a risk to the public. The decision was announced on Twitter by James's mother, Denise Fergus, who provided a written statement to the board.
Venables, now 28, was originally released on licence in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of two-year-old James Bulger. He was recalled to prison in 2010 after admitting to downloading child pornography and was sentenced to two years in jail. The Parole Board considered reports from psychologists, probation officers, and prison officers, as well as the view of the Secretary of State.
James's father, Ralph Bulger, described the 'daily nightmare' of life since his son's murder. Speaking outside Liverpool Crown Court, his solicitor Robin Makin said the authorities had shown an 'inability to cope' with reintegrating Venables into society. Makin criticised the handling of the case, stating that the sexual element of the murder had been overlooked and that previous reports were 'fundamentally flawed'.
A Parole Board spokesman confirmed that the decision had been communicated to the prisoner, the Secretary of State, and the victim's families. The board declined to comment further, citing data protection laws. Venables and his accomplice Robert Thompson were 10 years old when they abducted, tortured, and killed James Bulger in 1993.
