James Bulger killer Jon Venables set for crucial parole hearing in November
The Parole Board has confirmed Jon Venables, one of the notorious killers of toddler James Bulger, will face a two-day parole hearing on November 14 and 15. This rare move reopens one of the UK’s darkest crime cases from 1993.
The crime that shocked a nation
Venables and Robert Thompson were just 10 years old when they abducted and murdered two-year-old James Bulger after snatching him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. Their horrific crime sent shockwaves across Britain and saw both boys locked up with life sentences. Yet in 2001, they were quietly released on licence with new identities.
Venables’ troubled history behind bars
Now aged 40, Venables has been jailed twice more since his release — in 2010 and 2017 — for possession of indecent images of children. After serving a 40-month sentence, his latest parole review was due in October 2022 but was pushed back to November 2023.
What happens at the parole hearing?
A Parole Board spokesperson said the panel will thoroughly examine all evidence, including the original crime and any signs of Venables’ behaviour changing. They stressed:
“Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead-up to an oral hearing. Evidence from witnesses, including probation officers, psychiatrists, psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison, as well as victim personal statements, are then presented at the hearing.”
The hearing involves detailed questioning of Venables and witnesses and often lasts more than a day. The board’s priority remains protecting the public by carefully assessing any risks the prisoner may pose if released.
