Could one of the UK's most prolific child murderers walk free?

By Emma Carrington

Jon Venables is having another parole hearing [Image: Unsplash]

The UK’s most prolific child murderer is set to be re-trialled for parole within the next month. 

Over thirty years after the murder of James Bulger, who died at the age of two in 1993. Bulger was abducted, tortured and killed by two boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who at the time were ten years old. After completing the killing they became the youngest convicted murderers in recent history.  

Bulger was abducted from the New Strand Shopping centre, in Liverpool, on 12 February 1993, several horrific incidents occurred soon after, including sexual misconduct. James’ body was then left on the side of the railway. Forensic examinations show that James and succumbed to his injuries before being struck by a train.  

Robert Thompson, although being described by investigators as malicious and cunning, has kept a low profile since being released on parole in 2001, after serving eight years for the murder. He is being kept under an alias and in an unknown location to protect his identity, as well as the families of the victim. He and Venables are prohibited from contacting one another.  

Venables was caught with child pornography and imprisoned again [Image: Unsplash]

Jon Venables is still residing in prison today with him being released and reoffending several times since 2001 landing him back in prison repeatedly. Venables was released June 2001 under a new identity, he at the time had to report to a parole officer and was said to have good behaviour until 2008 where he was involved in a drunken street fight and then found possessing cocaine, claiming it was for “personal use.” Venables was let off with a formal warning, and these incidents were not made public until almost two years later.  

In 2010, Venables returned to prison. In June of the same year, the Judge overseeing his case allowed media restrictions to be loosened and allowed the public to know that Venables was returning to prison due to him owning and distributing child pornography, Venables was sentenced to two more years in prison.  

James Bulgers' mother was outraged and protested this, stating that the sentence length was “simply not enough.” Her statement was proven correct as four years after his release in 2013, Venables was charged and jailed on the count of possession of child pornography a second time, with courts releasing that he had over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children. Venables is currently serving his sentence at the Old Bailey prison in London.  

Venables, now 43, has had a parole board agree to look at his suitability for release within the next month. Denise Fergus (formerly Denise Bulges) mother to James Bulges, has been granted to speak at Venables hearing. This will be the first time she has encountered Venables in 33 years. Still protected by anonymity, Venables’ face will be obscured to the court and to Fergus, but she will be able to hear his testimony with his past paroles ending how they did could this be enough for the court to extend his sentence indefinitely?