fulfillment of their mandate. Given that official investigators will have to obtain an official account from the witness no matter what if these are to be used in criminal proceeding, the person will be forced to go again over a detailed account of traumatizing events. This official record of the witness account will require a substantial level of detail, and it can only be obtained through judicial proceedings. Having a prior “statement” of the witness that describes in detail certain events, will most likely lead to contradictions in the second account that will generate additional litigation. Thus, remember to not ask for more details than necessary as every little detail the victim might not be able to recall subsequently could compromise the witnesses’ credibility if challenged. Furthermore, a very detailed statement might be more traumatizing to the interviewee, (as they have to go in great detail over the traumatizing events they have experienced, and that is recommended this only be done by a professional with proper training and with the right psychological support). As a general rule of thumb, as an unofficial investigator you need to always balance the need to preserve information at a moment where events might still be vivid in the memory of the individual and the fact that this might lead to more harm than good for both the well being of the witness as well as the integrity of the information. It is important that interviewers pay attention to signs of stress or fatigue. Interviewers need to pay attention to verbal and non-verbal signals of those giving a testimony. A heightened tone of voice, facial expressions, nervous hand gestures, or slouching posture may be signals of anxiety or emotional fatigue. Consider to take a short break, to postpone the interview to another day, or to discontinue the interview altogether. Bear in mind that the interviewee’s well-being is the determining factor in such decisions. This is another aspect that professional training is important for. This equips an interviewer in responding appropriately when such situations arise. 142 If you need to end an interview early due to signs of fatigue or stress: • Try to help the interviewee re-establish a sense of control; • Do not end the interview abruptly; • Bring the interviewee back to the present moment and relative safety; and 142 Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Prosecution of Sexual Violence: Best Practices Manual for the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Violence Crimes in PostConflict Regions: Lessons Learned from the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, 44 (2014), available at http://www.unictr.org/sites/unictr.org/files/publications/ICTR-Prosecution-of-Sexual-Violence.pdf. 103