Application for a public hearing in the case of Jon Venables
You will find below the summary of applications for the oral hearing in the case of Jon Venables to be made public
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
The Parole Board has received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus for the Parole Board hearing in the case of Jon Venables to be heard in public. The reasons for the application are summarised below:
- There is significant public interest in the case, and a public hearing could improve public understanding of the parole process.
- The Applicants say they are exposed to extensive social media discussion about the case, and that greater transparency may help address misinformation, which is an issue that continues to have a retraumatising impact.
- They argue that the prisoner should have to face up to his offending by way of a public hearing, especially given that he has committed further serious offences as an adult.
- Public scrutiny would help explain how risk is assessed and managed, supporting confidence in the parole system.
- A public hearing would allow justice to be both done and seen to be done.
- Sufficient safeguards can be put in place if the hearing were to be held in public.
- They consider the prisoner’s further convictions as an adult to be an exceptional feature of the case, adding to the public interest in how the parole review is conducted. This supports the argument for a public hearing being in the interests of justice.
- They say a public hearing would allow themselves and other victims to better understand the decision-making process and feel more involved and confident in the justice system.
- They believe a public hearing in this case may help demonstrate, more broadly, that parole decisions are made through a rigorous and evidence-based process that can withstand public scrutiny.
- The Applicants state that if this application were granted, they would finally feel listened to and they are prepared for the hearing to take place in public.
Anyone wishing to submit representations on this application should do so by sending the attached Proforma for Representations to public.hearings@paroleboard.gov.uk
The deadline for any representations to be made is midday on Friday 14th August 2026
The Parole Board has also received an application from the legal representative of Jimmy Bulger and Ralph Bulger for the Parole Board hearing in the case of Jon Venables to be heard in public. The reasons for the application are summarised below:
- The case is exceptional and has significant public interest, as it concerns a case of murder of a child by children, the prisoner’s subsequent sexual offending and the relationship if any, between the original offence and later sexual offending, repeated recalls to custody, and complex issues around anonymity, risk management and release arrangements.
- A public hearing would improve public understanding of the parole process, particularly how the Parole Board assesses evidence, tests professional opinions, evaluates risk, and reaches decisions in a case of such significance.
- Transparency would enhance public confidence in the parole system by allowing observation of how issues such as risk, release planning, supervision arrangements and public protection are scrutinised by the panel.
- The Applicants positively and independently seek a public hearing and believe transparency would reduce uncertainty and misinformation surrounding the case.
- The Applicants argue that observer attendance at a private hearing is not an adequate substitute as it does not provide the same level of insight into how evidence, disputed issues and risk management arrangements are examined.
- The Applicants submit that concerns about the prisoner’s safety, welfare, anonymity and emotional wellbeing can be managed through reporting restrictions, anonymity protections, private sessions and careful case management.
- Sensitive and confidential material can be dealt with in private sessions and the Applicants argue for a hybrid hearing.
- Public scrutiny would help ensure the completeness and reliability of the evidence considered by the panel.
- The hearing should examine whether lessons have been learned from previous releases, recalls and risk management failures.
- The case raises broader public protection issues, including risks posed by Venables, risks arising from any failure of anonymity arrangements, and the effectiveness of mechanisms intended to manage those risks.
- Published decision summaries are insufficient.
- The Applicants are of the view that the Parole Board has established mechanisms for remote public observation and separating public and private sessions, meaning the practical burden is not disproportionate in a case of this nature.
Anyone wishing to submit representations on this application should do so by sending the attached Proforma for Representations to public.hearings@paroleboard.gov.uk
The deadline for any representations to be made is 3pm on Thursday 10th September 2026