The mother of murdered toddler James Bulger has demanded that the upcoming parole hearing for her son's killer be held in public so he is forced to 'face up' to his crimes. Denise Fergus says an open hearing would help the public better understand the parole process and counter the 'disinformation' she believes has 'retraumatised' her family. However, Mrs Fergus was informed in January that he would be given another opportunity to put his case before the Parole Board. Until 2022, Parole Board hearings were held in private and the reasons for decisions to release prisoners were not made public. The High Court later overturned that decision and also struck down the secrecy rules surrounding Parole Board decisions.