The case of Robert Venables, who infamously tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, is set for another parole hearing as he seeks to gain release once again. Venables, now 43, will appear before parole chiefs more than two years after his last appeal was denied in 2023, when the Parole Board deemed him a continued risk to children, indicating a potential for reoffending.
Venables, alongside his accomplice Robert Thompson, kidnapped James from a shopping center in Bootle, Merseyside, when they were both just 10 years old. Venables was first released on licence in July 2001 but was recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were discovered on his computer. He experienced another release in August 2013 but was subsequently recalled in November 2017 for similar offenses.
Denise Fergus, James’s mother, who has expressed her ongoing trauma related to the case, will attend the hearing. Her spokesperson, Kym Morris, indicated that Fergus had hoped for a resolution that would provide her some peace, a wish now seemingly denied as the parole process continues to unfold. “Once again, Denise Fergus has been forced to confront a process that reopens unimaginable trauma,” Morris stated, underscoring the pain associated with the hearings.
The Daily Mirror reported that James’s family was notified of the impending parole hearing, which is anticipated to take place next month, though a specific date has yet to be established by the Parole Board. Under recent reforms introduced in April, victims or their families now have the opportunity to attend parole hearings—held privately in an effort to enhance public trust in the justice system.
The continued scrutiny of Venables’ case reflects ongoing public concern regarding child safety and the complexities surrounding the rehabilitation and release of offenders. As the hearing approaches, there remains a keen interest in its outcome and its implications for victims’ families seeking closure.