of the interviewee at the conclusion of each interview and determine whether
any further assistance to the victim/witness may be required, and then
discuss this with the victim/witness. Furthermore, the interviewer should
assess whether the interview achieved the objectives and consider possible
further lines of inquiry. 144
3.4.2 Documenting Information on Psychological Injury
Harm done to an individual may well be mental rather than or
in addition to physical injuries. However, even though a certain level of
psychological suffering is expected in a conflict situation, avoid making
assumptions to this effect as this may further stigmatize the victim/witness
by labeling them prematurely. Psychological evaluations can provide
important information/evidence of the harm done and the violations that
have occurred. Certain symptoms may help direct professionals to uncover
what has happened and what psychological injury the individual involved
may be suffering from. 145 Moreover, information on psychological injury is
important to acquire/refer the appropriate support to victims/witnesses. Bear
in mind that only expert psychologists can make a psychological assessment.
Nevertheless, unofficial investigators may contribute to this by
documenting their observations of an individual’s behavior as well as what
the individual shares with regard to nightmares, suicidal thoughts, or other
indicators that may point to psychological injury. Such documentation may
be helpful to an expert at a later point in time. 146
If the interviewer concludes that no professional expert is available
and that this information is important for those that have been affected by
the serious human rights violations at hand, it is crucial to be aware of the
vulnerability of the individual(s) involved, to uphold the do no harm
principle, and to only proceed with this kind of questioning with the
144
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Anti-human Trafficking manual for criminal justice
practitioners, module 8: Interviewing victims of trafficking in persons who are potential witnesses, 46
(2009), available at
http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/TIP_module8_Ebook.pdf.
145
Anne Goldfeld, Richard Mollica, Barbara Pesavento and Stephen Faraone, The Physical and
Psychological Sequelae of Torture: Symptomatology and Diagnosis, 259(18) THE JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 2725, 2728 (1988)
146
Camille Giffard, THE TORTURE REPORTING HANDBOOK, 49 (2000), available at
http://www.essex.ac.uk/torturehandbook/handbook%28english%29.pdf.
105
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