I know Venables will kill another innocent child, says murdered James Bulger’s dad as he begs to go to parole hearing
MURDERED toddler James Bulger’s dad has pleaded with the Justice Secretary to let him attend Jon Venables’ parole hearing, saying: “I know he will kill another innocent child.”
Ralph Bulger wants Venables to hear him tell the Parole Board he should never be released from jail.
And he has called on Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Parole Board chiefs to allow him to do it.
Venables, 40, will go before a parole panel on November 14 for a two-day hearing — likely to be held behind closed doors.
It represents a potential last chance of release for Venables, who was freed with a new identity but has twice been recalled to jail.
A new Victims and Prisoners Bill is going through parliament, which would give the Justice Secretary the final say on whether or not repeat offenders can be freed.
Ralph, 57, said: “I know I can’t see Venables in the hearing because of his anonymity protection — but I want him to hear me tell the Parole Board to keep him locked up in jail for life.
“I want him to listen as I tell them that deep in my heart, I know he will abuse and kill another innocent child like my beautiful son James.
“I call on Alex Chalk and the Parole Board to consider mine and James’s family’s feelings in this.
“Then, if the Parole Board decide to free him into the community, I want them to tell me to my face why they believe he is no danger to children.
“I cannot fathom how anyone could think he is safe to be released when he has shown over and over that he cannot control his sick urges towards young children.”
Ralph, who will appear on the launch of Jeremy Kyle and Nicola Thorp’s new breakfast show on TalkTV this morning, added: “Thirty years has not diminished the shock or the horror of the crime he committed on my son.”
Venables and co-killer Robert Thompson were ten when they abducted two-year-old James from his mother Denise’s side at a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993.
They abused and tortured him and his body was found on a railway track two days later.
The killers were 11 when they were convicted of the murder but they were released from a secure juvenile detention unit at 18.
Venables and Thompson — who has not re-offended — were given lifelong anonymity.
Venables was recalled to prison in 2010 and 2018 for having child sex abuse images.
He last appealed for a parole hearing in 2020 but was refused.
Ralph added: “Venables is an evil, psychopathic child sex killer and that will never ever change.
“The Parole Board members need to look in the mirror and ask themselves, ‘Would you want Jon Venables living next door to your young children or grandchildren?’
“If the answer is no, he should never be freed.”