When is psychosocial support required during the legal process? “The best chance for psychosocial support to work and prevent victims’ re-traumatisation through trial is when it is carried out throughout the whole process of trial. Corporación AVRE in Colombia The legal process is likely to have a significant impact on a torture victim’s life throughout its course, from the investigation phase up until the legal process is concluded. As a result, the need for psychosocial support often lasts throughout the entire legal process, which can take years. Indeed, a majority of IRCT’s members contributing to this report indicate that there is a need for continual support throughout the legal proceedings but particularly in the pre-trial phase where the majority of the 37 members in this report indicate that psychosocial support is very often needed. Before trial: Psychosocial support is important because torture victims often will not initiate legal proceedings without it, either because they anticipate failure or have little knowledge of the procedures. As part of this decision, victims will also need help with managing their expectations, understanding their rights and preparing the case. In addition, support at this stage is crucial as the incident suffered by the victim may have happened recently and therefore trauma may still be acute. Victims need help from both health and legal professionals. During trial: Psychosocial support is also essential at this stage as the trial itself is a major stress factor and an additional psychological burden for the victim, and the victim’s family. Often, the greatest impact of a trial on a victim and his/her family comes once the victim is required to testify, accentuating fears of being interrogated, blamed, and of facing the alleged perpetrators in the court room. The traumatic aspect of a trial is likely to be intensified if the victim is detained. In addition, many victims need psychological support to cope with feelings of helplessness and frustration often relating to the slow court process. The importance of this support is magnified in cases where the victim fears being stigmatised by his/her community or family for seeking justice. After trial: It is widely acknowledged by professionals working with torture victims that the importance of psychosocial support depends on the outcome of the legal proceedings. For example, if a sentence handed down by the court does not meet 33