James Bulger’s mum ‘indignant’ Jon Venables given parole listening to in ‘actual world’ warning

Denise Fergus will warn the Parole Board that Jon Venables is now ‘bigger, stronger and has more wits about him’ as he faces another bid for freedom from prison

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James Bulger’s mother has issued a warning to a parole board weighing up the potential release of her son’s killer, highlighting that Jon Venables might still present a danger to the public.

Venables, now aged 43, was just 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted, tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, back in 1993.

The pair received indefinite sentences at young offender institutions before being transferred to adult jails, and later released.

However, Venables was returned to prison twice for reoffending.

Venables’ most recent attempt at freedom will go before the Parole Board, despite a 2023 ruling that he remained a threat to children and risked reoffending upon release.

Now James’ mother, Denise Fergus, has issued the board with caution over him being back out in the “real world”.

Denise, 57, plans to alert the panel assessing his release that Venables is “bigger and stronger” than when he tortured and killed her little boy.

Speaking to the Mirror, Denise revealed she felt “distressed” and “angry” upon discovering he had another shot at freedom, as she prepares to attend a confidential venue to watch the proceedings take place via video link.

She said: “It is distressing and frankly makes me angry that I’ve now been told that James’ killer will be afforded a parole hearing and a chance of release. Surely this person has proved he can not be given yet another chance yet he’s been given one.”

She cautioned the board that it must bear in mind Venables now possesses “more wits about him” and expressed concerns he might deliberately offend after release to remain under the “protection” of prison walls.

She continued: “The parole board must remember, he’s not a 10-year-old anymore. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s got more wits about him. He’s been educated to lie to his back teeth. My worry is that if he’s released, he’ll lose that protection, he’ll be looking over his shoulder the whole time, he’ll have a target on his back.

“He’s not going to like it in the real world. What is he going to do to get back inside?”.

Venables has previously been released from custody, initially in 2001 whilst serving a life term for murder.

However, he was returned to prison in 2010 and once more in 2017 following discoveries of child abuse material in his possession on two distinct occasions, receiving a sentence of three years and four months in 2018.

Parole officials examined his case in 2020, before turning down another application for release in 2023.

A summary of that ruling published afterwards revealed Venables had “accepted that he had a long-term sexual interest in children/indecent images of children”, whilst highlighting “future risks” that he could access child sex abuse imagery once more.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board stated: “The Secretary of State for Justice has referred Jon Venables’ case to the Parole Board for a review. A member of the Parole Board has assessed the case on the papers, by reviewing a dossier of evidence, and has directed that an oral hearing should take place. The date for this hearing is yet to be set.

“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

“Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing. Evidence from witnesses including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are then given at the hearing.

“The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more. Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.”

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