After three decades of unimaginable grief, Denise Fergus has finally experienced a moment she once feared would never come. The decision to deny parole to Jon Venables has been described by supporters as a powerful step toward justice — not only for her son, James Bulger, but for parents everywhere who refuse to let their children be forgotten.
For 30 long years, Denise has carried her heartbreak in public view, speaking out time and again to ensure her son’s name was never reduced to a headline or a statistic. Each parole review reopened wounds. Each legal update forced her to relive the darkest chapter of her life. Yet she never stopped fighting.
This latest ruling means Venables will remain behind bars — a decision many believe reflects the gravity of the original crime and subsequent concerns raised over the years. For Denise, it is not about vengeance. It is about accountability. It is about protecting the public. And above all, it is about honoring James.
Supporters say the ruling sends a clear message: some acts carry consequences that cannot simply fade with time. While nothing can undo the pain of 1993, this moment represents acknowledgment — that her voice mattered, that her persistence mattered, that her son still matters.
“Justice, at last,” many have echoed. But for Denise Fergus, justice is not a single decision. It is a lifelong promise to the little boy she lost — and a reminder that a mother’s fight never truly ends.