It has long been recognised that child complainants find the court experience very difficult, particularly if they have to give evidence against a family member in a sexual offence matter. This paper outlines the major factors that contribute to making processes harrowing for children and then discusses and evaluates some of the initiatives that have been introduced to alleviate these factors.

Limited impact is due to some issues that could be resolved, such as slow implementation, and more difficult ones such as the balancing the rights of the accuse with consideration for the child.