James Bulger killer Jon Venables to remain behind bars after bid for freedom rejected

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Child killer Jon Venables has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail, with the panel ruling that it was “not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public”.

Venables, who was just 10 when he brutally tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, will now spend at least another two years in prison.

The 41-year-old was previously released on licence in July 2001 and recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

He was again released in August 2013 and then called back in November 2017 for the same offence, with parole judges last considering his case in September 2020.

His previous parole review in 2020 determined he used sex and pornography “as a means of coping”, felt a “lack of fulfilment in life” and had a “need for excitement”, as it looked at his behaviour leading up to his more recent offences.

The decision against releasing him comes after a series of delays and a hearing that was held behind closed doors in mid-November.

In a three-page summary, the Parole Board said on Wednesday: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.

“It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”

He will be eligible to apply for another parole review in two years.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “James Bulger’s barbaric murder was a crime that shocked the nation and I welcome the Parole Board’s decision to keep his killer behind bars.

“Public protection is our number one priority, which is why I opposed Jon Venables’ release and this Government is reforming the parole system to introduce a stronger ministerial check on the release of the most dangerous offenders.”

Venables was jailed alongside Robert Thompson after barbarically murdering James in one of the UK’s most high-profile cases.

The duo had snatched the toddler from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, and left his mutilated body by a railway line.

They were released aged 18 from a young offenders institution and were provided with new identities. While Thompson has not reoffended since his release, Venables has been recalled to prison on two occasions.

Despite calls from justice minister Alex Chalk for him to remain incarcerated, a two-day private hearing was scheduled for 14 and 15 November.

James’s mother Denise Fergus said she would “crumble” if Venables, who she describes as a “monster” was released again.

She told The Mirror: “Our fate is in the hands of parole board bosses, so I beg them to make the right decision for everyone and keep my son’s killer behind bars.

“Venables has had so many chances in the past and he’s blown them all. He doesn’t care. He seriously doesn’t care about anybody.”