Jon Venables: Parole Board yet to decide on release of James Bulger's killer as psychiatric reports awaited
A Parole Board decision on the possibility of Jon Venables being released from prison has been delayed in order for more psychiatric reports to be completed and assessed.
Venables, 36, had been sentenced to prison in 1993 when he was 10 years old after Robert Thompson and he tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger. Thompson and Venables had lured James away from his mother in a Merseyside shopping center.
The two were sentenced to life in prison but were released from prison in 2001 with new identities, The Sun reveals. Back in 2010, Venables went back to jail after he was found in possession of some indecent pictures of children. In 2017, he was sent to prison yet again for the same. It has been reported that he is currently serving out a 40-month sentence and will be across the halfway mark in October.
Earlier this year, the Parole Board confirmed a review of his case had been deferred. It would also determine if a hearing needed to take place to decide whether he should be released. The case has been postponed until August while the board awaits the results of some more psychiatric reports.
After the findings from the psychiatric reports, it will then be decided whether there will be a hearing or not. The board has been hesitating to determine certain cases especially those which include murderers, violent sex offenders and terrorists without having a face to face hearing.
Many of these cases are likely to be postponed, with the hearing delayed. In August last year, James's mother Denise Fergus had urged the board not to give Venables an early release and "finally admit this man is a threat and danger to society". Denise said Venables showed "no remorse or any signs of being rehabilitated."
A spokesman said that public safety was definitely the "number one priority" and the Parole Board would "carefully look at a range of evidence".
We had earlier reported that James' father Ralph Bulger is devastated regarding the possibility of Venables' release and has warned that Venables will kill again should he be released from prison. He spoke to the Mirror and said, "He went on to commit more crimes against children. I don’t believe he will stop until he has killed again."
"It’s vital that when it takes place the parole board looks in depth at the sexual abuse of James when he was tortured and murdered by Venables and Thompson. It is directly linked to Venables’ later sex crimes against children," Ralph revealed. "If they don’t take this into account, they are failing to deal with the magnitude of how dangerous he is."
"He is a dangerous, predatory child abuser and killer and I am terrified he will strike again and harm another child like my James," Ralph continued. Ralph also believes that the Parole Board should be "called into question" and held accountable if they let Venables out again and he commits further crimes.
"Ever since James was murdered in 1993, the sexual torture of James has been brushed under the carpet. Venables might have been 10 years old then but now he is a grown man and a predator with a disgusting lust for children. He is wired wrong and has always been," Bulger continued.