James Bulger’s Father Says He Can Finally ‘Breathe Easier’ After Killer Jon Venables Is Denied Parole

More than three decades after the murder of his two-year-old son, Ralph Bulger says he has finally received a moment of relief. Jon Venables, one of the men convicted of killing little James Bulger in 1993, has been refused parole and will remain behind bars. The decision has brought reassurance to James’s family, who have spent years fearing that one of their son’s killers could be released and pose a danger to other children.

Venables, now 44, was just 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted James from a shopping center in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993. The toddler was later tortured and murdered, in a case that shocked Britain and remains one of the country’s most notorious child murders. Both boys were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, but were released under new identities in 2001 after serving eight years.

Venables was subsequently returned to prison in 2010 after child sexual abuse images were discovered on his computer. Although he was released again in 2013, he was recalled to custody in 2017 after further offences involving such material. He has remained in prison ever since. His latest parole review concluded that he was still not suitable for release, with the panel expressing concerns about his sexual preoccupation, the possibility of further offending and whether he could be sufficiently open and honest with probation staff if supervised in the community.

Ralph Bulger welcomed the decision, saying he felt enormous relief knowing Venables would not be free to potentially harm other children. However, the father also expressed frustration that the family may have to face the painful process again. Neither Ralph nor James’s mother, Denise Fergus, was allowed to attend the private parole review. The hearing took place behind closed doors, despite the family’s wish for greater involvement in the process.

The Parole Board’s decision summary revealed that Venables himself had told officials he was not seeking release and accepted that he needed to complete further work while in prison. Professionals considered his remorse for the original crime to be genuine, but the panel remained concerned about the risks he could present if released. The review considered evidence from prison and probation officers, psychologists and a psychiatrist before reaching its conclusion.

For Denise Fergus, the outcome also brought overwhelming relief, although her representatives stressed that the prospect of another parole hearing continues to cause enormous anxiety. Venables could face another review in approximately two years. For James’s parents, the latest decision offers a period of reassurance, but not an end to the emotional ordeal that has followed them since their little boy was taken from them in 1993.

Source: The Sun