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• Sharp objects, radiological, nuclear and electrical risks, gases et cetera. 101 Anyone interacting with a crime scene should observe strict anticontamination measures. This includes: wearing protective clothing, gloves and shoe covers; using a single path when entering or leaving the scene. Noone should: • Use any facilities available at the scene, such as telephones and bathrooms • Eat or drink • Smoke or chew tobacco • Move anything/anybody (unless necessary for the safety and wellbeing of persons at the scene) • Touch anything • Reposition moved items • Litter or spit.102 3.2.3 Observing and Recording a Crime Scene Documentation of the crime scene begins with the arrival of the first person at the scene. The primary objective of observing and documenting the crime scene is to create an accurate, reliable and precise record of events. It is important to adhere to the practices described in this Handbook to try to ensure that the documentation is sufficiently reliable to be used at a later stage by other authorities or organizations. 103 With regard to the sequence of activities, should it really be needed for an unofficial investigator to engage in any of them, proceed as follows: 1. Assess the security situation and make a risk assessment (see Sections 2.2.1 and 3.2.2). 2. Secure the crime scene (see Section 3.2.2). 3. Consider what type of crimes might have occurred as this will help anticipate the evidence that could be present. 101 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, CRIME SCENE AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AWARENESS FOR NON-FORENSIC PERSONNEL, 6 (2009). 102 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, CRIME SCENE AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AWARENESS FOR NON-FORENSIC PERSONNEL, 10 (2009). 103 Camille Giffard, THE TORTURE REPORTING HANDBOOK 30 (2000). 80

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PILPG Handbook on Civil Society Documentation of Serious Human Rights Violations Sept 2016

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Documentation Purpose

Perpetrator-centred documentation

Topic(s)

Data/Information Strategy
Preservation and Archiving
Verification

Type

Guide

Description: Increasingly, civil society actors engage in documentation and investigation processes, seeking to collect evidence against those responsible for serious human rights violations. The purpose of this Handbook is to provide guidelines and best practices for the collection and management of information on serious human rights situations for those that are not professionally trained in such documentation practices. While the Handbook strongly emphasizes the need to refrain from investigating human rights abuses and to refer to professionals, practice shows that this is not always possible. Only under such circumstances and as a last resort may civil society actors consider engaging in certain documentation practices and not in others, always seeking to include professionals when and where possible. They may however only do so by adhering to the ethical principles and documentation guidelines that are provided in this Handbook. These enable unofficial investigators to do no harm, identify security risks, preserve crime scenes, prevent the loss of evidence, and manage the information in manner that preserves confidentiality, security and probative value, with an eye to possible use in later redress processes and without jeopardizing the future work of professionally trained and officially appointed investigators.

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PILPG_Handbook_on_Civil_Society_Documentation_of_Serious_Human_Rights_Violations_Sept_2016_tcm289-785328.pdf
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PILPG Handbook on Civil Society Documentation of Serious Human Rights Violations Sept 2016

Primary Documents

Verification Handbook

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