• Apply gender and culturally-sensitive procedures to avoid re-victimisation and stigmatisation of torture victims and to ensure the non-discriminatory treatment of victims and witnesses.24 To rehabilitation centres offering psychosocial support Provide specialised psychosocial support programmes to all torture victims participating in legal proceedings, wherever resources permit: • Include an appropriate and structured long-term psychosocial support programme, provided free of charge to all torture victims involved in legal proceedings, at all stages of the legal process. • Ensure support is proactive, comprehensive, victim-centred and based on multidisciplinary interventions by a variety of highly skilled actors (including medical doctors, psychologists, therapists, social workers, lawyers). • Take into account the specific needs and difficulties of the torture victim at each stage of the legal process. Manage the victim’s expectations, help to deal with his/her emotional difficulties, and provide support according to the victim’s current needs. • Include the victim’s family in psychosocial support wherever appropriate. • Include the victim’s lawyer in the programme of support, to help the lawyer to understand the victim’s trauma and better handle his/her client’s needs during the legal proceedings. • Create survivor support groups as a forum for torture victims to discuss their experiences of the justice process and in doing so to help them strengthen emotionally. Support groups may include other torture victims, family members and relatives, health professionals, human rights advocates and legal professionals. Establish inter-disciplinary programmes of exchanges and workshops: • Share knowledge and expertise and best practice examples on providing psychosocial support to torture victims participating in legal proceedings between rehabilitation centres. Raise awareness of torture victims’ right to redress: • Inform torture victims of their right to redress, including how to access justice and seek reparation. • Inform and educate the wider community on torture and its impact on society. In doing so, society increases its understanding and recognition of the existence of torture, the 52