A combination of inconsistencies in a child complainant's evidence, inherent improbabilities in the account, absence of corroboration or contemporaneous complaint, unshaken evidence of the accused, and apparent normality of subsequent dealings may render a conviction unsafe and unsatisfactory, notwithstanding the jury's advantage in observing witnesses. The jury's advantage in assessing demeanour is diminished where cross-examination of the accused was limited and the concerns arise from the content and logic of the evidence rather than demeanour.
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