What was said during interrogation, including insults, questions, etc. What was said among the perpetrators? Was there any bleeding, head trauma, or loss of consciousness? Was the loss of consciousness due to head trauma, asphyxiation, or pain? The investigator should also ask about how the person was at the end of the occurrence of torture/abuse. Could he or she walk? Did he or she have to be helped or carried back to the cell? Could he or she get up the next day? How long did the feet stay swollen? For each form of abuse, note: body position, restraint, nature of contact, including duration, frequency, anatomical location and the area of the body affected. The history should include the date of positional torture, how many times and for how many days the torture lasted, the period of each episode, and the style of the suspension. The examiner must remember that statements on the length of the torture session by the torture survivor are subjective and may not be correct since disorientation of time and place during torture is a generally observed finding. c. Interviewing Women: It might be difficult for a man to interview a woman, even when the subject matter of the interview is not sensitive. A woman is often more willing to talk to another woman. This consideration is especially important when discussing an experience of sexual assault. Therefore, it is very important to ask the interviewee about her preferences in this regard. d. Interviewing Children: Children perceive the world very differently from adults and this fact should be appreciated when preparing to interview a child. The issue of power relations should also be carefully considered, as a child will always feel inferior to an adult interviewer and is therefore more likely to provide compliant answers. The age and developmental stage of the child must also be taken into account, as this will greatly influence the child’s capacity to tell his or her story. For instance, can the child talk freely and uninterrupted? Or is s/he better able to respond to specific questions? If the interview relates to an allegation of physical abuse, a child is likely to feel anxious and reticent to discuss the issue. It is important to be extremely patient. Often several interviews will be necessary before a child will trust you sufficiently to confide in you. It may also be helpful to consider using other methods of communication, such as drawing or using pictures or images (sad faces/smiley faces). 14