@whitequark why do you want to believe survivors in the first place?
If you have some direct observations that shift you towards believing survivors, I'd guess that these also give you info on how to deal with this.
If you've heard some good argument for "believe survivors", that argument should also guide you through how to reconcile it with the kind of situation you describe.

If you want to believe survivors because you feel like you're supposed to, I don't really see the value in doing that.

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