Enzo,
I am fully aware that where the law stipulates mandatory reporting then the elders do so however where there is not mandatory reporting then the elders still follow the original instructions. There is no directive for ALL cases to reported REGARDLESS of the local laws. There is no directive to involve the authorities in first instance and consider judicial action as of secondary import.
I am not claiming that elders are deliberately secretive. I am not claiming people are prevented from contacting the authorities. I also don't think that the elders ignore the safety of child. What happens is that elders defer to Bethel and follow the ensuing instructions closely. If Bethel do not tell them to report it and the family do not ask if they can report it then it does not get reported. Many elders when faced with a situation like this do not operate with any common sense or with some autonomy. They default to robot mode. I accept that it makes sense for the elders to speak with Bethel and get direction. What I do not accept is that the process is not consistent and is open to failures simply because it's a lottery as to if the victim gets help from elders with some brains and vision, or ones that do nothing unless Bethel have given them explicit instruction.