Jon Venables, convicted over the murder of toddler James Bulger, is set to have a further parole hearing in private rather than in public, according to multiple reports. The decisions being discussed follow a request from Bulger’s mother, who wanted the parole process to be held openly.
The outlets agree that the hearing will not be conducted publicly and that it will be carried out in private. They frame the dispute around Bulger’s mother’s plea and the question of whether the parole decision should be visible to the public. One outlet describes the change as following a “bombshell” ruling, while others state straightforwardly that the public-facing hearing will not happen and that the latest review proceeds behind closed doors.
Overall, the reports converge on the same point: Venables’ parole review is moving forward, with the main difference between outlets being how they characterize the legal or procedural trigger for the private format.
