More than thirty years after the murder that shocked Britain, the name Jon Venables is once again echoing through court corridors â and for James Bulgerâs mother, Denise Fergus, it feels like that dreadful day has returned.

Sources close to the Parole Board have confirmed that Venables, now in his early 40s, has formally submitted another bid for parole, which could be reviewed before the end of 2025. The decision will determine whether one of the two boys who abducted and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993 will ever walk free again.
Venables, who was just ten years old at the time of the crime, was released in 2001 under a new identity but later re-imprisoned for possessing child abuse images. Since then, every attempt to seek parole has been met with public outrage â and fierce opposition from Jamesâs family.
Speaking exclusively ahead of the expected hearing, Denise Fergus told reporters:
âHe should never see the light of day again. My son never got another chance â why should he?â
Fergus revealed she has obtained new confidential documents, which she says raise serious questions about Venablesâ rehabilitation and ongoing risk to the public. âThere are things the public deserves to know,â she added, âand I wonât stop until justice is truly done â again.â
Legal experts suggest that the Parole Board will likely review Venablesâs psychological reports, prison conduct, and risk assessment. Yet many believe his release would be âa danger to public trustâ given the magnitude of the original crime and his reoffending history.
If approved, Venables could quietly walk free by early 2026 â under yet another new identity funded by the state. But campaigners, led by Fergus, are calling for a full public inquiry into how the system continues to âprotectâ him at taxpayersâ expense.
The case remains one of Britainâs deepest scars â a story of a stolen child, a grieving mother, and a justice system forever struggling between punishment and rehabilitation.
As the next parole hearing looms, Denise Fergus vows she will be there, once more, staring across the courtroom at the man who took her sonâs life.
âHe will never be free,â she repeats. âNot while Iâm still breathing.â


