Don’t chase the truth—protect it.

When unexpected people start coming forward with new evidence—documents, messages, photos, devices, witness accounts—the safest and most responsible response is:

1. Hand it directly to authorities

Give it to:

  • Guardia Civil
  • local police
  • a solicitor/lawyer who can transfer it properly
  • relevant safeguarding or investigative authorities

That protects chain of custody.


2. Do not investigate it yourself

The instinct is often:

  • “Who sent this?”
  • “What does it mean?”
  • “Let me look deeper.”

But that can create problems:

  • accidental evidence contamination
  • altering metadata (opening files can change timestamps)
  • alerting suspects
  • putting yourself at risk

Curiosity can unintentionally damage a case.


3. Do not tamper with evidence

Avoid:

  • editing screenshots
  • forwarding repeatedly
  • renaming files
  • plugging devices in “just to check”
  • deleting anything

Even well-meaning handling can complicate forensic analysis.


4. Preserve what you received

Do:

  • keep original messages/emails
  • note when/how it arrived
  • keep devices powered state unchanged if possible (ask police first)
  • save voicemails/texts exactly as-is

Simple notes like:
“Received on Tuesday at 10:42 from unknown number”
can help investigators.


5. Let investigators investigate

Once authorities have it, the process moves to:

  • evidence triage
  • forensic examination
  • witness interviews
  • legal authorizations if needed

That’s their role—not yours.


Psychologically this can be hard because humans want closure and answers.

But in these situations, restraint is often the most helpful act:
don’t chase the truth—protect it.

That gives investigators the best chance of finding out what’s really going on.

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