A/HRC/52/30 fairly and with empathy; they may be pressured or otherwise dissuaded from registering their complaint; or they may fear that they themselves or their families will not be protected from threats, reprisals or intimidation. They may also be worried about counter-complaints or defamation suits launched by the authorities. 69 The emotional and often financial toll of pursuing complaints against public authorities can be doubly devastating, exacerbating trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or slowing rehabilitation and recovery. Worrying about one’s own safety or that of a loved one, or where one will sleep for the night or get one’s next meal are sure-fire ways to reduce the chances of successful investigation and prosecution. 50. The Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power70 established a unified set of minimum standards to “access the mechanisms of justice and to prompt redress”71 and such proceedings are intended to be responsive to the needs of victims, including through: (a) Keeping victims informed of their role and the scope, timing and progress of proceedings; (b) Allowing the views and concerns of victims to be presented and considered at appropriate stages of the proceedings; (c) Taking measures to minimize inconvenience to victims, protect their privacy and ensure their safety, as well as that of their families and witnesses, from intimidation and retaliation; (d) Avoiding unnecessary delay in the disposition of cases and the execution of orders or decrees granting awards to victims.72 51. The Declaration further states that victims should receive material, medical, psychological support and social assistance, as well as information about the services available to them.73 52. Practical measures that have been adopted at national levels to minimize trauma and maximize participation and engagement with the criminal legal system include: obtaining the consent of the complainant on the use and sharing of information; anonymization; providing different types of medical assistance (including medical, psychological and dental); a 24/7 telephone helpline; allocation of a victim liaison officer; and providing secure participation and communication (for example, through closed sessions, video links, voice distortion and the editing of public records). 53. It is good practice to familiarize victims-witnesses with the courtroom setting by bringing them into the courtroom in advance of proceedings and informing them about how to behave, where to stand or sit and what to expect. Such a simple orientation can help alleviate apprehension. It is also advisable to inform and train victims-witnesses in steps for their own self-protection since torture cases frequently attract media attention. Individuals might not understand or be able to weigh the dangers they may face in making allegations in public and whether or not they should answer media questions. For example, in the first case against members of the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (FARC), a judge of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia was attuned to the personal risks faced by the victim-witnesses. The judge ruled that they would first be thoroughly briefed so that they could make an informed choice as to whether they wanted to hide their identities. The consequent introduction of a code system dramatically improved the safety of over 2,000 victims. 69 70 71 72 73 12 Submission by the Association for the Prevention of Torture. General Assembly resolution 40/34, annex. Ibid., para. 4. Ibid., para. 6. Ibid., paras. 14 and 15. GE.23-03126