James Bulger's killer Jon Venables has been granted a parole hearing that could see him walk free from prison before Christmas.
Venables, 40, and Robert Thompson, 39, kidnapped, tortured and killed two-year-old James and left his remains by a Liverpool railway line back in February 1993. The pair were both just 10 years old when they committed the crime.
Both men were released from prison in 2001 on licence for life. However, Venables has been recalled twice – first in 2010 and 2017. On both occasions it was found he was in possession of indecent images of children.
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Venables' hearing will take two days and is scheduled for November 14-15, reports MailOnline. The case will be tried in private by three panel members who will cross-examine the killer, as well as reviewing evidence from sources including prison officers, Venables' prison dossier, his probation officer and psychiatrists.
The panel will also hear from James' parents, Denise Fergus and Ralph Bulger, who have urged the Parole Board not to release their son's killer. "If you let him free, you could be ruining the lives of another family like ours," Denise, 54, said ahead of the hearing.
"When you look at Venables's file just remember what he is capable of. He killed my son James, has reoffended time and time again and I have no doubt he would kill another child if he is released."
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It is unclear when Venables will walk free if he his release on licence is approved. However, it is believed he could be allowed out of jail by Christmas.
The criminal also has lifelong anonymity, so the public won't know where he is relocated to after being let out. He would be forced to adhere to stringent conditions, including limitations on where he can go and who he can contact.
James, from Kirkby, was taken from a shopping centre in Bootle just a month before his third birthday. His killers were convicted in November 1993.
At the age of 18, in 2001, the pair were released and given new identities. Thompson has not reoffended.
Venables' last parole hearing in 2020 was rejected by the Board.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said if the fresh plea: ''An oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Jon Venables and is scheduled to take place in November 2023. Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."
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