James Bulger Killer Jon Venables to Face Latest Parole Hearing Behind Closed Doors

LONDON — Jon Venables, one of the two men convicted of murdering toddler James Bulger, will have his latest parole hearing held in private, despite calls from James’s mother and other interested parties for the proceedings to be opened to the public.

The Parole Board for England and Wales rejected an application for the hearing to be made public, saying the legal threshold for holding a parole hearing in public had not been met. The decision was published on September 28, 2026.

Venables, now 44, is seeking release more than two years after his previous parole bid was rejected.

Parole Board rejects call for public hearing

James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, had asked for the hearing to be conducted publicly.

She argued that greater transparency could help counter misinformation surrounding the case and give victims and the wider public a better understanding of how parole decisions are made.

The application was also supported by legal representatives for James’s father, Ralph Bulger, as well as a number of media organisations. Their submissions argued that the case was exceptional because of the original murder, Venables’ subsequent offending, previous recalls to prison and the wider public-protection issues surrounding any potential release.

However, the Parole Board concluded that a public hearing could create serious difficulties for Venables in giving evidence.

According to the Board’s decision, there were concerns that Venables could be heard by people attempting to obtain information that could potentially put his life at risk. The Board therefore determined that the high threshold required for a public hearing had not been satisfied.

A case that has shocked Britain for more than three decades

Venables and Robert Thompson were both just 10 years old when they abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

The boys were subsequently convicted of James’s murder.

Their identities were protected by lifelong anonymity after their release, reflecting their ages at the time of the crime and concerns about their safety.

Venables was released on licence in 2001 but was later recalled to prison after child-abuse images were found on his computer.

He was released again in 2013, but was recalled for a second time in 2017 following another offence involving indecent images of children.

Previous parole bid was rejected

Venables’ previous parole hearing took place in 2023.

The Parole Board rejected his application for release, concluding that he continued to pose a risk to the public and could potentially commit further offences.

The decision followed concerns about his behaviour, risk management and whether he had fully addressed issues relevant to his offending.

His latest hearing will therefore be closely watched, particularly because of his history of release and subsequent recalls to custody.

James’s family wanted greater transparency

Denise Fergus has argued that making the proceedings public would help victims and the public understand how the decision is reached.

The application submitted on behalf of James’s family said that a public hearing could allow greater scrutiny of evidence, professional risk assessments, release plans and proposed supervision arrangements.

It also argued that the case raises broader questions about how authorities manage the risk posed by offenders who have previously been released and subsequently recalled to prison.

Under recent reforms, victims can attend parole hearings held in private, although this does not mean that members of the general public or the media can observe the proceedings.

A spokeswoman for Denise Fergus previously confirmed that she had been granted permission to observe the hearing.

Family anger over the decision

The decision has nevertheless prompted strong criticism from James’s father.

Ralph Bulger has described the decision to keep the hearing private as deeply insulting and has questioned whether sufficient weight is being given to the feelings of James’s family.

His comments were reported after the Parole Board announced its decision, with the family continuing to oppose Venables’ release.

The family has repeatedly maintained that Venables remains a danger and should not be released.

Those are the family’s views, however, and the final decision on whether Venables can safely be released rests with the Parole Board.

What happens next?

The forthcoming oral hearing will allow the Parole Board to examine Venables’ current risk and whether any release could be safely managed in the community.

The panel will consider evidence and professional assessments before reaching its decision.

For James Bulger’s family, the case remains painfully personal more than 33 years after the toddler’s murder.

For the parole authorities, the central question is whether Venables now presents an acceptable level of risk and, if release is considered, whether that risk can be effectively managed.

The hearing’s decision could determine whether Venables remains behind bars or is allowed to begin another period of supervised life in the community.

Whatever the outcome, the case is certain to remain one of Britain’s most closely watched parole cases.

Sources

• UK Parole Board / GOV.UK — Public hearing decision in the case of Jon Venables (2026), published September 28, 2026.
• UK Parole Board / GOV.UK — Application for a public hearing in the case of Jon Venables, published August 7, 2026.  
• The Independent — James Bulger killer Jon Venables to have latest parole hearing in private, September 28, 2026.
• Sky News — James Bulger killer Jon Venables to be given private parole hearing, September 28, 2026.
• ITV News — James Bulger killer Jon Venables’ parole bid for freedom to be held in private, September 28, 2026.