Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger, has requested that the upcoming parole hearing for Jon Venables, one of her son's killers, be held in public. Fergus believes a public hearing would compel Venables to "face up" to his crimes and help the public better understand the parole process, arguing that a lack of transparency has allowed "disinformation" to emerge, causing further distress to her family.
Venables was 10 years old when he, along with Robert Thompson, abducted, tortured, and murdered two-year-old James Bulger on February 12, 1993, in Bootle, Merseyside. Venables, now 43, was first released on license in 2001. He has since been returned to prison twice, first convicted of possessing indecent images of children in 2010 and again in 2017. His previous bid for release was denied in 2023.
In January, Fergus was informed that Venables would have another opportunity to present his case to the Parole Board, though a date for the hearing has not yet been set. A family spokeswoman stated at the time that Fergus felt her hope for peace had been taken away by the prospect of a new hearing.
The Parole Board has confirmed receipt of the application from Fergus and her partner, Stuart Fergus. They argue that an open hearing is warranted due to exceptional public interest in the case. According to a summary of their application, they contend that Venables should confront his offenses publicly, particularly given his subsequent criminal convictions as an adult.
Venables and his legal team will have the opportunity to respond to the application. Members of the public can also submit statements supporting or opposing the request by August 14.
Until 2022, Parole Board hearings and the reasoning behind release decisions were generally private. Changes to these rules followed a legal challenge that overturned the decision to release Jon Worboys, a convicted rapist, and subsequently led to legislation allowing public access to hearings in certain circumstances. The Parole Board retains the discretion to refuse such applications.
The murder of James Bulger, characterized by its brutality and the young age of the perpetrators, profoundly shocked Britain. Both Venables and Thompson were granted new identities upon their release, and a High Court injunction remains in place to protect their current identities.