Daily Mirror - 19.08.2019

mirror.co.uk MONDAY 19.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR^5

DM1ST

Venables is a dangerous,

predatory child killer.. I’m

terrified he will strike again

a second new identity. In November

2017, he was sent back to prison for the

same offence. In February 2018 he

admitted possessing videos of male

toddlers being abused and a “paedophile

manual” on how to attack children.

He was sentenced to 40 months in jail

and has to serve at least 20 months.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Edis told the

Old Bailey that the manual suggested

that Venables was “at least contem-

plating the possibility of moving on to

actual sexual crime against children”.

Ralph said: “If Venables is let out of

jail, some poor mum and dad will end

up paying the price. He can’t control his

sick urges. I have had to live with the

unspeakable devastation of my son’s

horrific murder, and I wouldn’t want any

other parent to suffer as my family has.

Keep him locked up for good.”

A Parole Board spokeswoman said:

“The parole review of Jon Venables has

not been referred to the Parole Board.”

[email protected]

@tpettifor

Parole Board. They need

to take into account

the level of risk that

James’s killer

currently poses, and

it is important that

the relatives such as

Mr Bulger have an

opportunity to make

their case to the Parole

Board about the risk they

feel is inherent.” The Ministry

of Justice will decide

the hearing’s date.

Venables and Robert Thompson were

both 10 years old when they kidnapped,

tortured and murdered James in Bootle,

Merseyside, in 1993.

They were released on licence in

2001, and given new identities and life-

long anonymity, which Ralph has unsuc-

cessfully battled to overturn in court.

Thompson has not reoffended. Vena-

bles was first recalled to prison in 2010

for making and distributing child abuse

pornography and released in 2013 with

bles into believing he

was reformed.

“He wasn’t, and he

went on to commit

more crimes. He has

proven he will never

be rehabilitated and

will always remain a

danger to children.

“I don’t believe he will

stop until he has killed

again. The parole board have

the power to prevent

him having the chance

to harm young children again.”

Venables will have completed half of

his latest sentence in October, so he will

then be eligible for a parole hearing.

He was recalled to prison on his orig-

inal sentence for murder and it is under-

stood he will be entitled to be considered

for release at some point before

February next year.

Labour MP and former Justice

Minister, David Hanson, said last night:

“It’s a very difficult decision for the

EXCLUSIVE

BY ROSIE DUNN and TOM PETTIFOR

Crime Editor

James Bulger’s dad wants paedo kept in prison

He has proven he will never

be rehabilitated and will

always be a danger to kids

RALPH BULGER ON WHY JON VENABLES SHOULD NOT BE FREED

MUGSHOT Police photo of Venables at 10 in 1993

THE dad of James Bulger is calling

for his son’s killer to be kept in jail

and stripped of his secret identity.

Ralph Bulger fears Jon Venables, who

will soon be eligible for a parole hearing,

will murder again if he is released.

Venables, 36, has been sent back to jail

twice since being freed after James’s

murder. He is currently serving a

40-month term for having more than

1,000 images of toddlers being abused.

Ralph, 53, said: “Venables is up for

parole any time now, and if it is granted

he will be released into the community

under a fake name and secret new iden-

tity. He is a dangerous, predatory child

abuser and killer, and I am terrified he

will strike again and harm another child

like my James.

“I warned against his release the last

time, but the parole board ignored me

and instead were hoodwinked by Vena-

HORRIFIC DEATH James Bulger

PAROLE

FEARS

Ralph says

Venables is

still a threat

FLASHBACK Mirror front

page in January last year

BY BEN GLAZE
Deputy Political Editor

CHALLENGE Mr Corbyn

Corbyn fires

election shot:

‘Johnson not

to be trusted’

JEREMY Corbyn today
attacks Boris Johnson’s
trustworthiness as he fires
the opening shots of a
general election campaign
with a ballot expected
this autumn.
The Labour leader visits
a key middle England
battleground to set out his
stall to in his battle to
become Prime Minister.
Mr Corbyn will speak at
a children’s centre in the
key Tory-held marginal
seat of Corby, Northants.

INEQUALITIES
He will say: “The Tories
under Boris Johnson
cannot be trusted to
deliver on their quick fix
election promises, because
their first priority is tax
cuts for the big corpora-
tions and the richest.
“Boris Johnson and the
Tories can’t be trusted to
deliver for the majority
because they will always
look after their own.
“Instead of fixing a failed
system they’ll turbocharge
its inequalities, insecurities
and climate destruction.
“Labour can be trusted
to deliver – to end austerity,
to take on the elites and
the vested interests
holding people back, and
to transform our country
for the many, not the few.”
He claims an election will
be a “once-in-a-generation
chance to change direction”
for the country.
BREXPECTING THE
WORST: PAGES 12&

Waiter killed

by sandwich

rage gunman

AN angry diner shot a
waiter dead because he
was “taking too long to
make his sandwich”.
Colleagues attempted to
revive the victim, 28, at a
“quiet” pizza restaurant in
Noisy-le-Grand, an eastern
suburb of Paris.
The waiter was shot in
the shoulder with a
handgun on Friday night.
A murder investigation
has been opened by police
but the gunman was still
on the run yesterday.

Picture: BILLY GRIFFITHS