35 anesthesia” is a form of protection against grief that has very negative effects in the long term, particularly on physical health. The expert witness noted that some families grew closer together around the pain they were suffering, while others manifested negative feelings when they met to talk about what had happened. Other families had had problems with overuse of alcohol and drugs. Another significant problem is the level of “frozen mourning” that the expert had observed in many of the interviews with the next of kin of the tradesmen, which entails considerable psychological suffering. Some family members have left the things of their loved one in place, cut their social ties and do not leave their houses. The expert witness noted that some of the information in the press and the details from the legal judicial proceedings made a deep impression on the next of kin of the alleged victims; these referred to the way in which the latter were attacked and their bodies were destroyed. Information about these facts made it evident to the next of kin that State agents were heavily involved in the case, which caused frustration, owing to the lack of response and attribution of responsibilities. The “life plan” of the next of kin of the alleged victims has been affected by the facts of the case. By “life plan”, the expert understands the hopes of a person or a family with regard to his personal relationships, his family, personal, financial and professional development, and also his ability to be happy. The expert witness considers that public acknowledgement of the truth is a very important step in the emotional recovery of the next of kin of the alleged victims in this case. Most of the next of kin that the expert interviewed expressed the fundamental need for the truth to be known, in order to try and overcome the uncertainty of the current situation and so that the facts do not remain unpunished. A few of the next of kin interviewed did not know that some trials had taken place. Most of the next of kin knew about these trials, but the revelations made about the traumatic event had raised many doubts about whether the versions of the facts put forward were a way of concealing the perpetrators or eliminating the evidenceseeking process. Other family members considered that the proceedings were incomplete, because some evidence that was not investigated; this resulted in a feeling of injustice and lack of clarity about the high-level implications regarding responsibility for the facts. Another important measure that should be taken to help the next of kin of the alleged victims is to make more efforts to locate the remains, because, in order to confront the facts, they need to have evidence of whether the alleged victims are dead or not. The expert witness was unable to say whether it is possible to close the mourning process while the remains of the alleged victims have not been found. Most of the next of kin of the disappeared insist on the return of some of the remains, should they have been murdered, or something that reminds them of their relative, even if it is only a piece of clothing, a small bone, anything that has something to do with their relative. The expert considers that it is important to provide support to the next of kin of the alleged victims in specific areas such as health, because some of them have had both