Richard if I may. Your question on why children who are abused do not speak up at the time. I can answer that easily. Fear, shame, gulit.
My cousins were sexually abused by their father. Since my one cousin is two months my senior her and I were very very close. I knew all about the abuse. We were between 12 and 14 when this was going on.
I wanted her to tell, she was terrified. My dad was a cop at the time. I never said a word. She knew my aunt her mother would not believe her and still worst she was afraid her mother would do nothing to stop it for fear of losing her home. I tried for years to have her tell, she told me over and over again if I did tell she would kill herself. That is a heavy burden and I could not risk that. So at 13 I did nothing.
The truth finally came out when her father was chasing her through the house and she climbed on the roof to get away from him and my younger aunt showed up and said "what the hell are you doing on the roof".
He was brought to court but my cousins were too terrified and ashamed to testify. Their lives were ruined be this.
Children are threathened by molesters to keep quite. Some promise to murder their parents if they tell or their younger brothers and sisters. They are told so many lies and the shame is so great. They truly have no where to turn often.
As for the priets I don't know what they would say to a child, perhaps they pick on the weak child, the one who has a disfunctional family life, perhaps one who doesn't get any love or attention at home.
I do know that many people hide what happens into adult hood because it is just to painful. We hear many come forward once they find the strength to voice their pain, Marie Osmond being one.
Rape victims do the same thing. So many are not reported. This is rape but of a child. Grown women are afraid to come forward, these poor children. My heart truly cries for them. I have seen the long term effect of abuse and it is a death of the soul.