Although a therapeutic, noncriminal approach to intra-familial child sexual abuse is often considered by mental health professionals to be the most effective means of addressing the root causes of the problem, prosecution of the offender frequently benefits the child victim. Prosecution can make it clear to the child that the offender's behavior is unacceptable to the larger society; it may help relieve the child's guilt; and it may help to break the cycle of abuse, whereby abused children are likely to become abusing parents. British common law procedures, however, tend to obstruct the effective prosecution of such cases. They expose the child witness to the full rigors of the adversarial system and do nothing to ensure that secrecy surrounding the abuse, a late complaint, and retraction by the victim are indicators of a normal pattern following child sexual abuse rather than signs that the child is lying. Also, various legal rules governing the status of child witnesses fail to recognize their vulnerability and do not afford them adequate protection. They also inhibit the presentation of the child's testimony and put little value on the child's evidence when it is given. 2 notes.