James Bulger’s killer Jon Venables loses bid for freedom
The sick killer has been jailed twice for possessing indecent images of children.
James Bulger’s evil killer Jon Venables will stay in prison after his bid for parole was rejected.
Venebles faced an appeal to determine if he could be released from jail after he was imprisoned for possessing images of child abuse.
But the Parole Board rejected his bid, with the panel ruling that it was ‘not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public’.
Now 41, Venebles and pal Robert Thompson shocked the nation in 1993 when they abducted, tortured and murdered two-year-old James when they were just ten years old.
The pair were given life sentences but were released on licence with new identities in 2001.
However, Venebles has since returned to prison twice after indecent images of children were found on his computer in 2010.
He was 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.
There is a long-standing legal order in place to protect the identities of Venables and Thompson because of their young age when they committed the murder.
This meant that the chairwoman of the Parole Board of England and Wales, Caroline Corby, chose not to hold his parole hearing in public, and that James’s family were not able to attend.
Kym Morris, a spokeswoman for James’ mum Denise Fergus, told the Mirror: ‘This is the day Denise has waited for years.
‘The prospect of him coming out was terrifying as we knew he’d harm again. This is a day we celebrate and we thank the parole board for making the correct decision.’
Ms Fergus previously appealed directly to the parole board and told them to ‘please, please, make the right call and keep Venables away from other kids like James’.
Speaking to the Mirror in November, she said: ‘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.
‘Look into my eyes and see what I’ve had to deal with for 30 years – three decades of hell. Keep people safe from this monster, because that is what he is, and don’t give him what he wants.
‘If he goes on to commit more crimes after you release him, it will be on your shoulders. So, I’m just asking you to do the right thing.’
Venebles’ former partner-in-crime Robert Thompson has not reoffended since his release from prison.
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