The Confrontation Clause of the sixth amendment guarantees the right of defendants to face their accusers. At the same time, the child has certain rights and child molestation is one of the most difficult crimes to detect and prosecute because the child victim is often the only witness. Studies suggest that a child victimized by abuse is traumatized further when required to testify during the prosecution of the alleged molester. Two U.S. Supreme Court cases are described, Coy v. Iowa and Maryland v. Craig, that concern the right of defendants to confront child witnesses. The author believes the Confrontation Clause must prevail so that constitutional rights of the defendant are not compromised. These rights include the right to confront witnesses, the presumption of innocence, and the due process right to a fair trial. 1 figure