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Notorious British child killer Jon Venables set to be released again

A notorious British child killer is set to be paroled for a second time, sparking fury from his victim’s parents.Two-year-old James Bulger was lured away from a shopping center in Liverpool, England, by Jon Venables and his classmate Robert Thompson in February 1993.The pair, who were both aged 10 at the time, then beat him with iron bars and bricks before dumping him on a railway line.
Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.
Child killers Jon Venables and Robert Thompson pose for mugshots in 1993. Venables is set to be released for a second time.Getty Images, file / Getty Images North America

A notorious British child killer is set to be paroled for a second time, sparking fury from his victim’s parents.

Two-year-old James Bulger was lured away from a shopping center in Liverpool, England, by Jon Venables and his classmate Robert Thompson in February 1993.

The pair, who were both aged 10 at the time, then beat him with iron bars and bricks before dumping him on a railway line.

They were given secret new identities for their own safety after they were released from custody in 2001.

However, Venables was jailed for two years in July 2010 after pleading guilty to downloading and distributing 102 images of children being sexually abused.

Bulger’s father Ralph said Friday he was “disappointed and dismayed” to learn that Venables had been released again. In a statement, he called the decision "reckless" and said his family's "living nightmare continues."

Denise Fergus, the murdered boy's mother who split from her husband Ralph Bulger shortly after Venables and Thompson were convicted, was also dismayed by the decision.

On Thursday night, Fergus tweeted: “Just don’t believe wat (sic) I have to go through. AGAIN”

Later she added: “Venables is getting released.”

No date has been set for the 29-year-old Venables' release but a Ministry of Justice spokesman said it would likely occur within less than a week, once appropriate accommodation has been found. 

Surveillance camera footage shows the abduction of two-year-old James Bulger
Surveillance camera footage shows the abduction of two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping mall near Liverpool, England, on February 12, 1993.Getty Images, file / Getty Images North America