Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Parole Board Grants Jon Venables Oral Hearing as Bulger's Mother Is Cleared to Observe

The Parole Board approved an oral hearing based on professional reports and family statements.

Overview

  • The review is expected to take place within the next month.
  • Denise Fergus will attend and hear Venables speak for the first time in more than 30 years, with his face obscured to protect his identity.
  • Her spokeswoman said the decision has reopened "unimaginable trauma" and left her facing renewed uncertainty and distress.
  • Venables was jailed in 2018 for possessing child‑abuse images and a "paedophile manual" and has been recalled to prison twice before.
  • A 2023 panel, convened after he skipped a private appeal hearing, concluded he remained a danger to children and that release was not safe at that time.