The mother of murdered schoolboy Rikki Neave hopes to challenge her child cruelty conviction.
Ruth Neave was convicted of child cruelty following a trial in which she was acquitted of her six-year-old son's murder in 1994.
Rikki was found strangled in woods near Peterborough nearly 28 years ago.
Neave said she was advised to plead guilty to all offences by her solicitor and denies all allegations.
She now claims she has lived for nearly 30 years under the suspicion that she got away with Rikki's murder and is hoping to clear her name.
Neave says the suspicion plagued her throughout this year's trial of James Watson, who was convicted of Rikki's murder.
During Watson's trial, a court heard how the now 41-year-old most likely used Rikki’s zipped up coat as a ligature, in the unprovoked attack.
Neave and her husband, Gary Rogers, say "monster" Watson’s conviction is not the end of this journey and now plan on attempting to challenge the child cruelty conviction.
They also both claim it was failings by authorities that drove the police’s pursuit of her for Rikki’s murder.
Neave told The Guardian : “I wish I could be happy, I wish I could be jolly – but I just can’t."
The mum, whose other children have distanced themselves from her, admits that her life was "chaotic" and she "smacked the children" sometimes, but she denies child cruelty - including claims she starved, tortured and sent Rikki out to buy drugs.
Neave claims allegations, one including her hanging Rikki by his ankles over his bridge, were made up by people looking for "fifteen minutes of fame" - saying their actions were "malicious".
When asked why she pleaded guilty, she said: "I was told by my solicitor to plead guilty.
"I refused to plead guilty to the murder. I pleaded guilty to the neglect because I thought it was just smacking.”
Neave says she has lived in "pure hell" during the arrest, charge and conviction of Watson - who was only 13-years-old when he murdered Rikki.
Rikki disappeared on November 28 1994 and his naked body was found in woods in a star-shaped position near his Peterborough home the following day.
The court heard how sick Watson stripped Rikki and used the helpless child to fulfil a "morbid" fantasy told to his mother three days before the killing.
Watson, who has evaded justice for more than 28 years, was convicted by majority verdict at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
A cold case investigation into Rikki's murder was opened in 2015 and Watson was arrested after a match was made between his DNA profile and samples taken from Rikki's clothing.
