James Bulger's dad begs to tell Jon Venables he shouldn't be freed from jail

02 October 2023 , 06:26

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Jon Venables (Image: PA)

The dad of murdered toddler James Bulger has reportedly begged the Justice Secretary to let him attend the parole hearing for Jon Venables, saying "I know he will kill another innocent child".

James was two years old when he was snatched from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993. The abductors – Venables and his friend Robert Thompson, who were both aged 10 – then murdered the toddler.

James’ body was found on a railway line after he had been beaten to death. Venables and Thompson were convicted of murder and locked up, but were released on licence in 2001 after serving eight years.

They were given new identities and lifelong anonymity. Venables has twice been recalled to jail for possessing indecent images of children while out on licence – firstly in 2010 and then again in 2017. Venables, who was sentenced to 40 months in prison in 2018 for having over 1,000 indecent images of children, was last refused parole in 2020 but has now made a new bid for freedom.

Ralph Bulger, the father of James Bulger, arriving at Liverpool Crown Court in 2011 (PA)

James's dad Ralph Bulger reportedly wants Venables to hear him tell the Parole Board that he should never be released from prison and he has called on Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Parole Board chiefs to let him attend.

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Ralph, 57, told The Sun: “I know I can’t see Venables in the hearing because of his anonymity protection — but I want him to hear me tell the Parole Board to keep him locked up in jail for life. I want him to listen as I tell them that deep in my heart, I know he will abuse and kill another innocent child like my beautiful son James.

“I call on Alex Chalk and the Parole Board to consider mine and James’s family’s feelings in this. Then, if the Parole Board decide to free him into the community, I want them to tell me to my face why they believe he is no danger to children.

"I cannot fathom how anyone could think he is safe to be released when he has shown over and over that he cannot control his sick urges towards young children.”

He went on to call Venables "an evil, psychopathic child sex killer and that will never ever change" and said that he should "never be freed". The two-day parole hearing is currently set to be heard in secret on November 14 and 15.

William Walker