Hold-up for Bulger killer’s attempt to go free
A PAROLE Board decision on whether one of James Bulger’s killers can be freed from jail has been delayed for psychiatric reports.
Two-year-old James was tortured and killed by the pair formerly known as Jon Venables and Robert Thompson – who were both aged 10 – after they snatched him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.
They were jailed for life but released on licence with new identities in 2001.
Venables, 36, was sent back to prison in 2010 and 2017 for possessing indecent images of children. He is currently serving a 40-month sentence, passing the halfway mark in October.
In April, the Parole Board confirmed a review of his case had been referred and it would determine whether a hearing needed to take place to decide if he should be released.
The case has been deferred until August while the board awaits the findings of more psychiatric reports, after which time it will be decided whether there will be a hearing, it is understood.
There is a suspected monthly backlog of more than 1,000 cases waiting to be heard by the board due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Efforts have been made to conduct remote hearings or decide cases “on paper” by considering documents where possible and appropriate.
But the board is reluctant to determine certain cases – such as those involving murderers, violent and sex offenders and terrorists – without a face-to-face hearing, so they are likely to be delayed.
If there is no doubt that Venables should remain in jail, the case will be decided on paper. But if there is any uncertainty, a hearing will need to take place to consider the risk he presents and whether he can be released.
In August, the murdered child’s mother, Denise Fergus, urged the board to deny Venables early release and “finally admit this man is a threat and danger to society”, claiming he had shown no remorse.
A Parole Board spokesman said public safety was the number one priority and the panel would carefully look at a range of evidence.