established that qualified professionals created and interpreted the reports.114 However, in accordance with the best practices set out in the section on Documentary Information (Section 3.1), unofficial investigators may make some preliminary observations and preserve critical information by taking notes and photographs of the following: • Any obvious injury such as bullet holes, stab wounds, swelling, bruises, cuts, grazes or burns. • Shape and spread of bloodstains. • Any deformity of shape or posture of the back or limbs. 115 It is crucial not only to document the scene itself but also the activities of the national authorities in response to the homicide. Examples of such activities include whether there was a thorough, competent, prompt and impartial investigation or an autopsy with public results, whether any agencies or suspects have been held to account, and whether reparations have been provided to relatives and other victims of the violence. Human rights mechanisms need this information to establish whether the state involved may have violated human rights law and the exact nature of these violations. This includes situations in which the taking of lives was not directly done by state authorities, under their control or in any manner attributable to the state concerned, but where their response nevertheless failed to meet their obligations to investigate and prosecute under domestic and international human rights law. 116 A helpful starting point for conducting effective inquiries relating to a loss of life is to document a number of aspects concerning the identity of the deceased, the crime scene and the manner in which the crime took place. The Identity of the Deceased It is useful to collect information regarding the identity of a victim. This includes establishing, when possible: • Gender • Descriptions of appearance • Description of clothing and jewelry 114 Camille Giffard, THE TORTURE REPORTING HANDBOOK, 48 (2000), available at http://www.essex.ac.uk/torturehandbook/handbook%28english%29.pdf. 115 Camille Giffard, THE TORTURE REPORTING HANDBOOK, 48 (2000), available at http://www.essex.ac.uk/torturehandbook/handbook%28english%29.pdf. 116 Kate Thompson and Camille Giffard, REPORTED KILLINGS AS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, 57 (2000), available at https://www.essex.ac.uk/reportingkillingshandbook/english/reporting_killings_handbook.pdf. 87