Jon Venables stays behind bars: Killer admits he is not ready for freedom

Jon Venables will remain behind bars after the Parole Board refused his latest bid for release, with Sky News reporting that the panel found he still poses a risk to children ^[1]. In a striking twist, the convicted murderer actually told staff during his private hearing that he believed he should stay in prison, according to the Metro ^[2].

Venables submitted an opening statement acknowledging the need to undertake further offending work in custody, rather than seeking freedom, the Daily Mail noted ^[3]. This marked a shift from previous hearings where his release had been contested, as the BBC confirmed he explicitly stated he was not seeking release ^[4].

The Parole Board panel was 'not satisfied' that Venables was suitable for release, a decision supported by evidence from probation officers, three psychologists, and a psychiatrist ^[5]. All but one expert found that he should remain incarcerated, highlighting the persistent concerns about his suitability for life outside prison walls.

Venables was just 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993 ^[3]. The pair took the toddler approximately 2.5 miles to a railway line where he was brutally killed, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history ^[2].

Both boys were given indefinite detention sentences before being released on licence in July 2001 under lifelong identities and strict anonymity injunctions ^[2]. While Thompson has lived quietly without breaking the law since his release, Venables has been sent back to prison multiple times.

Venables was recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer, and was later sentenced to 40 months in 2017 following further offences involving prohibited material ^[2]. Despite being released on parole in 2013, his subsequent reoffending led to further parole hearings in 2020, 2023, and now this latest refusal.

James Bulger’s relatives objected to the move to conduct the recent hearings behind closed doors, describing the secrecy as insulting, the Daily Mail reported ^[3]. James’s father, Ralph Bulger, described himself as 'absolutely raging' at the process, while his mother, Denise Fergus, previously stated that a public hearing could help people understand the parole process better.

The Parole Board insisted that keeping the hearing private would reduce the risk of identifying the prisoner and prevent the case from being sensationalised ^[3]. With all but one expert opinion favouring continued detention, the board concluded that the conditions for safe release have not yet been met.