Jon Venables Will Stay in Prison After Parole Board Finds Him Not Suitable for Release

Jon Venables will remain in prison after a Parole Board panel decided it was not satisfied that he was suitable for release. A summary of the panel's findings was published on Monday, November 9, 2026. Venables, now 44, told the panel at the start of the hearing that he was not seeking release.

The panel's summary recorded his opening statement in these words: "At the outset of the hearing, Mr Venables submitted an opening statement to the effect that he accepted the need to undertake further offending work in custody and so was not seeking release." The case was heard at an oral hearing on October 19, 20 and 21, held in private. The hearing took place despite calls from James Bulger's parents for it to be held in public, Sky News reported.

What the panel heard

The panel considered evidence from probation officers based in the prison and in the community, three psychologists and a psychiatrist. All bar one concluded that Venables should remain in prison. The panel raised concerns about how well he would work with probation staff if released and how open and honest he would be under supervision, and it said there was a need for further work in custody to address his sexual interests. The panel also heard a victim personal statement that conveyed the impact of his crime. Professionals assessed the remorse he expressed to be genuine and sincere, the summary said.

A case that began in 1993

Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, were jailed for torturing and killing two-year-old James Bulger after taking him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, on February 12, 1993. Venables was released on life licence in June 2001 with a new identity. He was recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer, freed again in August 2013 with a second new identity, and recalled again in November 2017 for the same kind of offence.

In February 2018 he pleaded guilty to offences of making indecent images and possession of a paedophile manual and was given a 40-month prison sentence. The Parole Board rejected an earlier release bid in 2023. Monday's decision means he stays in custody, with further work to complete before any future panel considers his case again.