Mother of Jamie Bulger urges PM to prevent Jon Venables’ release from prison

The mother of James Bulger is urging the Prime Minister to prevent her son’s killer from being granted parole.

Jon Venables, alongside Robert Thompson, was ten years old when he tortured and murdered the two year old, in Bootle, in February 1993.

The two boys took Jamie from the New Strand Shopping Centre and performed violent acts on the toddler, before ultimately killing him.

The brutality of the murder shocked the nation, with James’ body being found on a railway line in Walton.

Venables and Thompson served eight years in childrens’ units and were released on license, with lifetime anonymity.

Venables, however, has returned to prison twice for breach of license and images of child abuse, where he remains.

His parole hearing is expected with the coming days and Denise Fergus has written to Liz Truss, warning her that he ‘still poses a serious threat.’

Denise told The Mirror: “We need the Prime Minister or her new Justice Secretary to step in immediately to make sure my son’s killer stays firmly behind bars where he belongs. We are calling on them to, please, intervene now.

“I’ve got a list of questions I want to put to her and answers that I need. I don’t want to be fobbed off.

“I am saying exactly how I feel. I’m saying how I feel so let down, again.”

Meeting with Dominic Raab, the previous Justice Secreatary, Ms Fergus was told MPs were set to debate her son’s murder.

However, the Prime Minister sacked Mr Raab after taking up her new role and shelved his Bill of Rights form, allowing Government to block the release of high-risk prisoners.

Venables has served his minimum sentence for possesion of child abuse images, and will be released if he is deemed to be reformed.

It is reported that the new Justice Secretary has also offered to meet with Ms Fergus.

Previous sentence

Jon Venables was recalled to prison in 2010 for breach of license, and released in 2013, with a new identity.

He was recalled for a second time, for posession of child abuse images, in 2017 and has served the minimum sentence.

His case last went before the Parole Board in 2020 due to risk factors such as ‘his sexual interests and an attraction to sexual violence.’