James Bulger's killer applies for parole AGAIN - sparking fury and fear for family of the murdered schoolboy
Jon Venables, now 42, was last refused release in December 2023 when the independent board ruled that he remained a risk to the public.
However, he is set to be referred to the Parole Board within six months - meaning he could be free by the end of this year, The Sun reported.
James, two, was abducted, tortured and beaten to death by 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in 1993 in a crime which shocked the nation.
The pair became the youngest ever to be convicted of murder after James' body was found on a railway track two days later.
They were both convicted in 1993 and given life sentences, a source of controversy given their age.
After eight years in youth custody, Venables was released in 2001 to much public outcry.
A pressure group called Mothers Against Murder gathered outside the parole board's headquarters in Westminster, central London to demonstrate.
Despite public pressure, the decision was made to release Venables on license in 2001 but he was recalled in 2010 after officers discovered child abuse images on his computer.
He was granted parole again in 2013 but only four years later he was back in jail after yet more images were uncovered.
The news of yet another parole hearing has left the family of James Bulger fearing the worst.
A source told The Sun: 'It's very worrying that the process has started all over again. How many chances does he need before they throw away the key?
'The family are wracked with fear, and who can blame them?'
However, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood does not want him released under her watch, a message that has been passed on to James' parents by senior probation figures.
Venables' parole review is believed to still be in its infancy and his last three parole bids have failed.
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