70 Part III: Paths forward harm is minimised while justice is maximised. The Istanbul Protocol entails special provisions on how to avoid retraumatisation of victims. d. The need for comprehensive medical examinations versus constraints on time and resources. A thorough history of a torture allegation coupled with a detailed physical and psychological evaluation naturally increases the value of a medical report as evidence for the allegation. The Istanbul Protocol provides comprehensive guidelines on how to develop these elements. However, in real-life situations where doctors may have limited resources and time with each patient, the standards in the Protocol cannot always be fully implemented. In such cases “best available practice” must be applied. The Istanbul Protocol emphasises that its guidelines are not fixed; rather they represent minimum standards that should be applied while taking into account available resources. In countries where torture is common practice, decision-makers and government officials often narrow the problem down to “a few rotten apples” in the system and/or excuse themselves with e.g. lack of laboratory capacity or forensic equipment to undertake proper documentation. However, states are obliged to give high priority to all cases of alleged torture regardless of the means at hand to document and pursue them, and excuses of this kind therefore cannot justify stalling or abandoning such cases. e. The need for general knowledge and collaboration versus specialised expertise. Government officials as well as health and legal professionals who meet torture survivors in their daily work must know their obligations and be adequately trained to address the needs of this specific group. But as mentioned, in many countries the skills and knowledge required to investigate and document torture are scarce. Moreover, ensuring effective training can be challenging. While different groups within the medical and legal professions should be brought together – and trainings should be multidisciplinary - to enhance mutual understanding and collaboration, hierarchical structures and adher-