legal counsel, or a judge. Any failure to provide evidence, such as records of medical evaluations or treatment, can unduly impair victims’ ability to lodge complaints and to seek redress, compensation, and rehabilitation. Besides, judicial bodies should refrain from applying doctrines that impede or preclude them from considering the merits of claims for redress made by victims of torture or ill-treatment. 11. The Government should also take measures to prevent interference with victims’ privacy and to protect victims, their families and witnesses against intimidation and retaliation at all times before, during and after judicial, administrative or other proceedings that affect the interests of the victims. Failure to provide witness protection stands in the way of witnesses and victims filing complaints, and thereby violates the right to seek and obtain redress and remedy. 12. The government should ensure that judicial and nonjudicial proceedings apply gender sensitive procedures which avoid re-victimisation and stigmatisation. With respect to sexual violence and abuse (such as rape, marital rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and trafficking) and access to due process and an impartial judiciary, complaint mechanisms and investigations require specific positive measures which take into account gender aspects in order to ensure that victims of abuses are able to come forward and seek redress. 13. Amnesties for torture and ill-treatment pose impermissible obstacles to a victim in her efforts to obtain 60