Story perspectives

UK Parole Board Orders Private Hearing for Jon Venables

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 10:05 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

UK Parole Board Private

The United Kingdom Parole Board decided the parole hearing will be private.
Jon Venables filed a 2026 release application.
Denise Fergus and Stuart Fergus wrote to demand a public hearing.
The board cited an injunction protecting Venables from serious physical attack as the reason.
Victims will receive an audio recording of the hearing after compliance checks.

Summary

Ferguses Demand Parole

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson abducted two-year-old James Bulger from Strand shopping centre in February 1993.
Denise Fergus was shopping at a butcher when the boys took her son.
They dragged James two and a half miles to a railway line.
They beat James with bricks and a metal bar and threw paint into his eyes.
Denise and Stuart Fergus have called for parole hearing, saying they are a voice for James.

History

Historical Context

On 1 July 2000, eight-year-old Sarah Payne was abducted and murdered in West Sussex, prompting a national outcry. Her mother Sara Payne’s campaign led to the 2008 pilot “Sarah’s Law” child-sex-offender alert, which by 2011 protected more than 200 children. The case’s legacy influences current debates over private parole hearings for high-profile offenders.

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UK Parole Board Private

The United Kingdom Parole Board decided the parole hearing will be private.
Jon Venables filed a 2026 release application.
Denise Fergus and Stuart Fergus wrote to demand a public hearing.
The board cited an injunction protecting Venables from serious physical attack as the reason.
Victims will receive an audio recording of the hearing after compliance checks.

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