The chilling words of Ralph Bulger, the father of murdered toddler James Bulger, have once again brought the nation’s attention back to one of Britain’s most harrowing crimes. “I will fight him until my last breath,” Ralph declared, his voice heavy with decades of grief and unyielding resolve. The statement came as Jon Venables, one of the two boys convicted of killing little James in 1993, launched yet another bid for freedom through the Parole Board.

For Ralph, the news reopened wounds that have never truly healed, reigniting his determination to ensure the man he calls a “monster” remains behind bars where he cannot harm another child.

The case that shocked the world began on February 12, 1993, in the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside. Two-year-old James Bulger, a bright-eyed toddler with a mop of fair hair, had wandered away from his mother Denise Fergus for just a few moments while she was shopping. In those fleeting seconds, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, took his hand and led him out of the centre. What followed was a prolonged and brutal ordeal captured partially on CCTV footage that would later horrify the public.

The boys walked James more than two miles across railway tracks and through streets, ignoring his cries and distress. They subjected him to relentless violence, pelting him with bricks and batteries, beating him with an iron bar, and eventually leaving him on the tracks where a train struck and killed him. The sheer cruelty inflicted by children so young defied comprehension and left an indelible scar on British society.

Venables and Thompson were arrested shortly afterward, becoming the youngest murderers in modern British legal history. Tried as adults in an adult court due to the gravity of the crime, they were convicted of abduction and murder in November 1993. The judge, Mr Justice Morland, sentenced them to be detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure, the equivalent of a life sentence for juveniles. They served eight years in secure accommodation before being released on licence in 2001 with new identities, a lifelong anonymity order protecting them from public recognition.

The decision sparked fierce debate about rehabilitation, juvenile justice, and the possibility of redemption for child offenders.

While Robert Thompson has maintained a low profile since his release and is reported to have stayed out of trouble, Jon Venables’ path has been markedly different. In 2010, he was recalled to prison after being caught in possession of indecent images of children. He was released again in 2013 but recalled once more in 2017 for similar offences involving child sexual abuse material. These repeated breaches of his licence conditions have fueled arguments that Venables remains a significant risk to the public, particularly to vulnerable children.

In 2023, the Parole Board rejected his previous application for release, concluding that he continued to pose a danger and could reoffend if freed. The board’s decision highlighted ongoing concerns about his behavior, psychological profile, and failure to fully address the underlying issues that led to his crimes.

Now, in early 2026, more than two years after that rejection, Venables’ case has returned to the Parole Board for an oral hearing. Reports indicate that the family of James Bulger was informed of the upcoming review in January, with the hearing expected to take place soon after. The process allows Venables to present evidence of rehabilitation, psychological assessments, and plans for managed release under strict conditions. However, the anonymity order remains in place, meaning his appearance will be shielded, his voice potentially distorted, and his identity concealed even from those attending.

For victims’ families, this can feel like another layer of injustice, denying them the opportunity for direct confrontation or full transparency.

Ralph Bulger, now in his late 50s, has spoken publicly about the toll this latest development has taken. The announcement, he said, felt like “a kick in the guts,” dredging up the unimaginable trauma of losing his son in such horrific circumstances. For the first time, both Ralph and Denise Fergus have secured the right to attend parts of the parole proceedings, a change in rules allowing greater victim involvement. Yet the prospect of hearing Venables speak—albeit altered—fills Ralph with dread and fury.

He has vowed to be present, to look the man who destroyed his family in the eye as much as the protections allow, and to argue passionately against release. “This monster has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted,” Ralph stated. “He will kill again if given the chance. I will do whatever it takes to keep him locked away. I will fight him until my last breath.”

Ralph’s words echo the sentiments of many who have followed the case over the decades. Public opinion remains deeply divided on the issue of lifelong punishment versus the possibility of reform, but Venables’ repeated offences have eroded much of the sympathy once extended to him as a child offender. Campaigners and commentators have called for reforms to the parole system, including longer intervals between hearings for high-risk individuals or automatic bars after multiple breaches.

Denise Fergus, James’s mother, has been equally vocal, describing the repeated hearings as ongoing torment and urging changes in the law so that those who breach licence conditions twice face permanent exclusion from release consideration.

The Parole Board operates independently, basing decisions on risk assessments rather than public sentiment or retribution. Experts will weigh psychiatric reports, prison behavior, and compliance with rehabilitation programs. Venables, now 43, has reportedly been described in some contexts as an “exemplary prisoner” in terms of conduct behind bars, though his history of serious offending casts a long shadow. Supporters of his release might argue that he was a child at the time of the murder, influenced by his own troubled upbringing, and that decades of incarceration and treatment should count toward redemption.

Critics, including the Bulger family, counter that the nature of the crime and subsequent violations demonstrate an enduring threat that cannot be safely managed in the community.

For Ralph Bulger, the fight is deeply personal. He has spent years campaigning for justice, writing books about his experiences, and speaking out whenever the case resurfaces. The grief of losing James has never faded; it has evolved into a fierce protectiveness over his memory and a determination to prevent similar tragedies. “James was innocent, full of life and love,” Ralph has said in past interviews. “What was done to him was evil. I cannot let his killer walk free to potentially destroy another family.”

As the hearing approaches, the nation watches with a mixture of horror and resignation. The James Bulger case remains a touchstone for debates on childhood criminal responsibility, the limits of rehabilitation, and the rights of victims. Whatever the Parole Board’s decision, it will not erase the pain endured by those left behind. Ralph Bulger’s vow—”I will fight him until my last breath”—stands as a testament to a father’s enduring love and an unshakeable commitment to safeguarding others from the darkness that took his son.

The outcome remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the shadow of February 1993 continues to loom large, reminding society that some crimes leave scars too deep to ever fully heal. For Ralph, the battle is far from over. It is a lifelong vigil, driven by memory, loss, and an unbreakable promise to protect the innocent.

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Speaking to The Sun, Mr Bulger said he, like his ex-wife Denise Fergus, would be attending the parole hearing – which is due to take place at an undisclosed date this year – so he could hear the convicted murderer speak. The defiant dad said he would “stand at the hearing for my son James”, adding: “For my enduring love for him, for justice for him and in defiance of Jon Venables.

“I know I won’t be in the same room as him. I know I won’t be able to see him. But I will hear him and, more importantly, he will hear me – and the devastating impact and pain he has caused to me and my family for 33 years.”

While the dad is preparing to meet his son’s murderer head on, seeing Venables come before the Parole Board has dredged up “excruciating” old wounds. He said every one of Venables’ bids for freedom have compounded the “agony” of young James’ death, especially since they tend to land around the devastating anniversary.

James Bulger was killed in 1993(Image: PA)

He said: “To compound the agony, every time Venables bids for freedom, it’s always around the time of James’s anniversary. It feels like a huge kick in the guts. I’ve had sleepless nights for months now waiting to hear if he will go before the parole board.

“Once again the decision lands just as we are facing the dreaded day James was stolen from us. It feels like I can’t breathe some days. I won’t rest until I know this monster isn’t getting out any time soon. I can’t bear the thought he will gain his freedom and hurt another child like my beautiful James.”

Venables has been paroled multiple times since his incarceraction in 1993, and notably been called back multiple times for possessing child pornography.

James was lured away by the evil 10 years olds before they killed him(Image: PA)

His latest parole attempt was denied in 2023 after the board decided he would pose a danger to children should he be released into the public. The panel found: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.”

The decision added: “It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”