Identifying and Locating Potential Witnesses of International Crimes through Third Parties ‘On the Ground’

A Trauma-Informed Process

Bibliographic Data

ID21982111
AuthorsSuzanne Schot (0000-0002-5102-4526, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, corresponding author)
Year2025
Publication date2025-11-06
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOñati Socio-legal Series (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2079-5971 • E-ISSN: 2079-5971
PublisherOnati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (PUBLISHER • ES)
DOI10.35295/osls.iisl.2352
OpenAlexW4415961242
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited20

Victims and witnesses of international crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity can suffer from psychological trauma or related sequalae as a direct consequence of the crimes. Recounting such experiences carries a substantial risk of secondary victimisation or retraumatisation. This risk must be carefully considered not only during international criminal investigations and prosecutions, but also at the preliminary stage of identifying and locating potential witnesses. This article critically examines the involvement of third parties in the identification of potential witnesses, distinguishing between organisations with varying mandates and so-called intermediaries. The analysis draws upon relevant scholarly literature, case law, and transcripts of proceedings. The findings suggest that, although there have been efforts to (increasingly) regulate the involvement of third parties to locate potential witnesses, the implementation of a trauma-informed process requires more precisely formulated procedures. This is essential to safeguard the psychological well-being of victims and witnesses from the earliest stages of investigations

Crimes against humanity · Humanity · Safeguard · Third party · Victimisation · War crime · Cambodian History and Society · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Law and Human Rights

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