James Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, continues to campaign to keep Jon Venables, one of her son's two killers, behind bars as another Parole Board hearing looms that could see him released. Venables, who was 10 when he and Robert Thompson abducted and murdered two-year-old James in 1993, has been recalled to prison multiple times since his release on licence in 2001, most recently over offences linked to indecent images of children, and Fergus argues he remains a danger to the public and should never be freed again.

The article details Fergus's long-running battle with the parole and justice system, noting Venables has reportedly declined to attend the hearing in person, adding to her frustration and sense of being shut out of a process that could determine his fate. It also touches on the wider debate the case has reignited about how the justice system handles offenders convicted as children who go on to reoffend as adults, and the secrecy surrounding Venables's identity and whereabouts, which has been central to previous parole and recall decisions.