The Parole Board has decided that Jon Venables will not face a public parole hearing, rejecting pleas from the family of murdered toddler James Bulger. The decision was announced today (September 28) and means Venables' latest bid for release will be heard behind closed doors.
Denise Fergus, James' mother, had demanded the upcoming hearing be held in public so Venables would be forced to "face up" to his crimes. The decision was made despite an official application from Denise and a number of media outlets.
Safety concerns cited
Parole Board hearings are usually held in private but can be made public "in the interests of justice". However, the board said it could not hold this hearing in public amid fears for Jon Venables' safety.
In reaching its decision, the Parole Board said a public hearing would make it "very difficult for Jon Venables to give evidence" because he could be "being listened to by people who are seeking to get information so that they can kill him".
Ms Fergus said a public hearing would help combat "misinformation" about the case which had a "retraumatising impact" on her, but the parole board said they had to protect the offender. The board noted that making the case public would increase "the risk of identifying the prisoner and of sensationalising the case".
Background of the case
Venables, who was aged 10 when he tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, will have his case heard by parole chiefs at an oral hearing more than two years after his last appeal. The two-day hearing is slated for the middle of October.
Venables was released on licence in July 2001 but was recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer. He was later freed a second time for the same offence in 2017. In 2023, the Parole Board rejected Venables' bid for freedom, concluding he still posed a danger to children and could go on to reoffend.
Family's response
The family of James have told the Daily Star they believe he should "rot" for the rest of his life behind bars. A source close to the family said: "The crime may have been done 30-odd years ago, but for us, it feels like yesterday."
"This case has dominated our lives, and this monster in particular will just not go away. It is clear he has not rehabilitated. Just look at his record. He isn't 'getting better'. He is a cancer to society and deserves to rot in prison until he dies."
