I saw the movie, but don't remember how or even "if" it addressed the question.
It's a very valid question! I wonder the same thing and my only guess at an answer is:
1. Going to the police would make it public which parents might be reluctant to do because it would expose their child to questioning, exposure in the newspapers, or possible ridicule within or alienation from the community.
2. Similarly, the family is obviously Catholic, so going to the police might effect their standing in their religious community, ruin friendships with other church members, effect their businesses or risk excommunication from the church.
3. A lot of cops are Catholic and, depending on who a family would get to handle their case, the family might have found that the officer's loyalty is to the church. And thus they may have been afraid to take the matter to a legal system that might end up turning against them.
4. Families that did go to the police may have found that they weren't much help or weren't willing to take the investigation very far because they required more evidence (not just one person's word against another) and the legal process was just too slow, too complicated, was too influenced by the church or wasn't effective so they eventually gave up on the legal system.
It's a very valid question! I wonder the same thing and my only guess at an answer is:
1. Going to the police would make it public which parents might be reluctant to do because it would expose their child to questioning, exposure in the newspapers, or possible ridicule within or alienation from the community.
2. Similarly, the family is obviously Catholic, so going to the police might effect their standing in their religious community, ruin friendships with other church members, effect their businesses or risk excommunication from the church.
3. A lot of cops are Catholic and, depending on who a family would get to handle their case, the family might have found that the officer's loyalty is to the church. And thus they may have been afraid to take the matter to a legal system that might end up turning against them.
4. Families that did go to the police may have found that they weren't much help or weren't willing to take the investigation very far because they required more evidence (not just one person's word against another) and the legal process was just too slow, too complicated, was too influenced by the church or wasn't effective so they eventually gave up on the legal system.