The Parole Board has confirmed that Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, will undergo a two-day parole hearing on November 14 and 15. This development has reignited the tragic and widely publicised case that shook the UK in 1993.
Venables and Robert Thompson were just 10 years old when they abducted and killed young James Bulger after snatching him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. The shocking crime led to their imprisonment with life sentences. However, in 2001, they were released on license with new identities.
Jon Venables, now 40 years old, has faced imprisonment twice since his release. In 2010 and again in 2017, he was incarcerated for possessing indecent images of children. His latest release, following a 40-month sentence, was scheduled for a parole review in October 2022, but the hearing was postponed.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board has confirmed that the hearing will now take place in November 2023. During the parole hearing, the panel will meticulously scrutinise a wide range of evidence, including details of the original crime and any indications of behavioural change.
The spokesperson emphasised that Parole Board decisions are exclusively focused on assessing the potential risk a prisoner may pose to the public upon release and whether that risk can be effectively managed within the community.
“Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead-up to an oral hearing,” the spokesperson stated. “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 process involves thorough questioning of the prisoner and witnesses, and these hearings can often last a full day or more. The spokesperson reaffirmed that parole reviews are conducted with utmost care and thoroughness, with the paramount priority being the protection of the public.
