Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, has been granted a parole hearing, bringing fresh distress to the victim's mother, Denise Fergus. The hearing is scheduled for next month, more than 30 years after the brutal murder in 1993.
Venables, now 43, was just 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted and killed James in Bootle, Merseyside. He was released from a life sentence in 2001 but returned to prison in 2010 and 2017 for possessing child abuse images. In 2018, he admitted having videos of male toddlers being abused and a 'paedophile manual'.
Denise Fergus, who will attend the hearing, has been granted unprecedented access to observe proceedings, including hearing Venables speak for the first time since the trial. Her victim impact statement will be read aloud. A spokesperson said the news has caused 'unimaginable trauma' and 'prolonged uncertainty and distress'.
Venables missed his last parole hearing in December 2023, arguing that seeing James's family would harm his mental health. The panel then ruled he was 'still a danger to children' and not safe for release. The upcoming hearing will assess whether he remains a risk to the public.
