Response to Karen Owen's Cross Examining Children Blog

Hearing a child relive the crime is a device used by the prosecutor to appeal to the jury on an emotive and sympathetic level. Instead of hearing somebody read the cold facts of evidence, it is much more difficult for a jury to hear this come from a child’s mouth. So, yes it is unfair for a child to be put through the trauma of reliving a crime committed against or in front of them but there are always social workers present whose job it is to protect the child and if this results in longer sentences to criminals who hurt children, it is worth it.