Ralph Bulger has vowed to fight the parole bid of Jon Venables, one of the men convicted of murdering his two-year-old son James in 1993. Venables, now 43, is facing a Parole Board hearing later this year, and Mr Bulger has said he will attend to confront the killer.
Speaking to The Sun, Mr Bulger said he would stand at the hearing for his son James, adding: 'For my enduring love for him, for justice for him and in defiance of Jon Venables.' He acknowledged he would not be in the same room as Venables but said he would hear him and, more importantly, Venables would hear him.
Mr Bulger described the repeated parole bids as compounding the agony of James's death, particularly as they often occur around the anniversary of the murder. He said: 'It feels like a huge kick in the guts. I’ve had sleepless nights for months now waiting to hear if he will go before the parole board.'
Venables and accomplice Robert Thompson kidnapped James from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, before torturing and killing him. They were sentenced to indefinite detention and later transferred to adult prisons. Venables has been released on parole multiple times but has been recalled for possessing child pornography.
His most recent parole bid was denied in 2023, with the board concluding that release would not be safe for the protection of the public. The panel noted doubts about Venables' ability to be open and honest with professionals and said he needed to address outstanding risks.
Mr Bulger's ex-wife Denise Fergus has also vowed to oppose the parole bid. The hearing is expected to take place at an undisclosed date this year.
