12 cracks along the circumference of the anus; thickening and folding of the anal orifice; inversion of the anal canal and swelling around the rim of the anus. The skin surrounding the anus was also red and painful to his touch. All these symptoms were in his view probably due to repeated anal penetration. The redness and pain, as well as some of the other injuries, could have been caused by chronic constipation, but his findings favoured penetration of the anus with a sexual organ. [25] Under cross-examination, Dr Winn stated that fissures and cracks which he had found along the circumference of the anus were approximately one to one and half years old. He also stated that the funnelling which he had found was one of the signs of chronic anal penetration. He expressed the view that his findings indicated more than three or four anal penetrations; all the signs pointed to ‘habitual’ or frequent penetration, perhaps on a monthly or even on a daily basis. He was however, unable to say definitively that his findings indicated chronic anal penetration as there could possibly have been another cause for the symptoms found, such as internal or external haemorrhoids. However, the combination of all his findings pointed in the direction of repeated anal penetration, certainly more than three incidents thereof. [26] The appellant testified in his own defence and denied all the allegations of wrongdoing against him. He stated that he was diagnosed as having Romano Ward syndrome when he was in standard one at school. This syndrome is a genetic deviation of the main nerve of the heart, creating the risk of instant death in the event of any emotional arousal (such as anger or excitement) which makes the heart beat faster. He did reasonably well at school and then went on to obtain his dental degree at the University of Pretoria. In May 1980, he began practising as a dentist in Balfour in the Eastern Transvaal. However, in 1990, five charges of indecent assault were laid against him. One was withdrawn, but he pleaded guilty to the other four charges and was convicted on these charges in 1991. On two of the charges, taken together, he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years on certain conditions, one of which was that he had to undergo psychotherapeutic treatment with a registered psychologist for a period of 18 months. On the other two charges, also taken together, he was sentenced to 2000 hours of periodical imprisonment.