Documenting a Crime

Documentation is needed to place all details in a non-controversial system and identify evidence of racial motivation of criminal acts against you. While preparing to describe the incident to the police, try to recall all details, expound and systematize them preferably in writing. This will help law enforcement bodies to better investigate the crime (committed against you or witnessed by you). This information may be helpful also for elucidating the motives of the crime and ascertaining them. Furthermore, it helps to find the perpetrators faster.

Time. Indicate the exact time of the incident. If you were followed before the attack, try to recall the timelines.

Victims. List all persons who suffered from the incident and indicate the damage done to them.

Perpetrators. Write down all information you can recall concerning the perpetrators:

Have you ever seen them before? In what circumstances? Are they unknown persons?

How many persons participated in each episode of the incident? Try to recall their sex and age.

Did they mention any names?

Did any of them have special peculiarities?

Give description of their appearance in details: headdresses, caps, clothes, boots, colors etc.

Signs.

Do you remember any specific symbols or designs?

Could you reiterate any words? They may be inscriptions, slogans, insults, threats etc.

Have you seen any specific gestures?

Objects. Name and personally attribute all objects involved in the incident (i.e. the instruments of crime)

Acts.

Characterize the tactics of perpetrators before, during and after the incident.

Name and personally attribute as many acts as you can (i.e. blows: by what to what part of body).

Classify all acts in a table determining time, place, perpetrator, instrument and part of body.

Describe your bodily harm and medical treatment you were given. Collect the certificates and receipts.

Have you lost any property? Was it taken by perpetrators or broken? List all objects, including documents that you lost as a result of the incident and appraise their value. Describe the objects in detail.

Background.

Have you or members of your community ever suffered from similar incidents before? Compare these incidents and elucidate the similarity. Do you consider members of your community vulnerable to such crime?

Have any similar incidents been committed nearby? Compare these incidents and elucidate the similarity.

Was there any context of the incident (argument, insults, other interaction)?

Had you been followed before the incident? In what way?

Witnesses. Did you see any witnesses? Suggest who might have seen the episode.

Motive. Try to consolidate all information and suggest possible motives for the attack. If you personally are convinced that the incident was racially motivated, insist that you opinion should be documented by the police when you report on the crime, as well as during all the stages of further investigation. Insist that your supposition regarding the motive of the crime be investigated, as well as be taken into account for the purposes of classification of crime. (see section Persecution of perpetrators: Legal Advice).

Professional help. Have you been refused law enforcement or medical help in relation with the incident? If yes, go back to the top of this list and document another incident.

Communicate the details of the documented incident to police (in the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, namely wrongful acts of the police officers — report to the prosecutor), as well as to the relevant NGO (List of the contact data of some MoI and Prosecutor’s Office territorial departments as well as a list of the organizations that can provide you with legal and other types of assistance, can be found in the Directory of useful contacts attached to this publication).