Psychological preparation of torture victims as witnesses toward the prevention of retraumatisation

This work presents psychological specificities of situations where torture victims are witnesses at the court trial of perpetrators at the same time. Witnesses are subject to the risk of secondary traumatisation, retraumatisation and revictimatisation, which may lead to the deterioration of existing PTSD symptoms. Starting from the very act of reaching the decision whether to testify, witnesses are in a state of ambivalence associated with a need for truth and justice, the need that perpetrators should be adequately punished and thus certain compensation be provided as well as with fear of the course that the trial itself may take, they being partially aware of the risk for retraumatisation and retraumatisation. The author sets forth the need for psychological-psychiatric preparation of the witness prior to the trial, as well as co-operation between judicial organs and psychiatric-psychological service. The paper features examples from the Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture Victims – IAN Belgrade.

Book Section

English

Zoran Ilic

Ilic, Z. (2004). Psychological preparation of torture victims as witnesses toward the prevention of retraumatisation. In Ž. Špiric, G. Kneževic, V. Jovic, & G. Opacic (Eds.), Torture in war: Consequences and rehabilitation of victims – Yugoslav experience. (pp. 377-387) Belgrade, Serbia: International Aid Network