James Bulger killer refused prison release by Parole Board

Child killer Jon Venables will remain in prison after being refused parole.

The 41 year-old tortured and murdered two year-old James Bulger in Merseyside in 1993.

Venables was jailed alongside Robert Thompson – when they were both aged 10 – after snatching James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.

Venables was released on licence in July 2001 and recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

He was again released in August 2013 and then called back in November 2017 for the same offence, with parole judges last considering his case in September 2020.

The Parole Board said on Wednesday: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.

“It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”

The decision came after a series of delays and following a hearing held behind closed doors in mid-November.

There is a long-standing legal order in place to protect the identities of Venables and Thompson because of their young age when they committed the murder.

This meant that the chairwoman of the Parole Board of England and Wales, Caroline Corby, chose not to hold his parole hearing in public, and that James’s family were not able to attend.

Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.