NGCOBO J made; then to a mother; then to a social worker, if she or he has been lucky to have been referred to one; then to a district surgeon or a medical practitioner – this time, the story-telling is accompanied by physical examination; then to a police officer at the charge office where the offence is reported; then to the investigating officer who will now be in charge of the case, where more details are now required; and then perhaps to the public prosecutor for a pre-trial interview, if the child is lucky to have one or if the public prosecutor has the time to conduct one. At times, the abuse may have been discovered by a caring teacher at a day-care centre or at school, and this adds to the list of people to whom the story is told. Then to the court, before an audience of strangers and in the atmosphere described above. [107] Those who know more about child behaviour from a professional point of view tell us that children are reluctant to relate their sad and often sordid experiences to several different people. As a result, repetition tends to heighten their sense of shame and guilt at what happened to them.98 [108] A child complainant who relates in open court in graphic detail the abusive acts perpetrated upon him or her and in the presence of the alleged perpetrator, will in most cases experience undue stress or suffering. This experience will be exacerbated when the child is subjected to intensive and at times protracted and aggressive crossexamination by the alleged perpetrator or legal representative. Cumulatively, these experiences will often be as traumatic and as damaging to the emotional and 98 Id at 56. 57