Supposed something went wrong. Suppose one of the girls tried to run for it and got killed by a passing car. The cops would be roasted over a slow fire for not following procedures. Following procedures to the letter is the only way they could protect themselves, especially when children are involved.

The societal problem is child worship, an unrealistic image of children as pure, innocent and unable to lie or make up stories. Much of this is created by the advertising industry to get parents to buy stuff for their kids and by misguided social workers to further their own interests.

Children, even at 12, are self centered, self serving, manipulative wild animals that lie as a first resort, mske up incredibly detailed stories of things that never happened and don't care a hoot what damage they do to others. It was bad enough in the past, but today they are fed endless tools and suggestions by television. No child should ever be believed without supporting physical evidence.

I speak from personal knowledge - I was one once, and I remember my childhood in clear detail (and I was by no means among the worst or most manipulative). Sometimes I think becoming a parent automatically erases all memories of one's own childhood (probably an evolutionary adaption to keep the little monsters from all being strangled).