Joseph: for better or worse, here in the US children are taken away from their parent(s) if a neighbor alleges the kids are abused, until Child Protective Services finds otherwise.
The MOTHER here wanted her �kids� out because of how hey were treated, but Guatemalan authorities are apparently doing nothing. Not surprising from a country that has at at least hundreds of its citizens fleeing thousands of miles on foot in hopes of a better life.
The reason many girls marry young there is because the parents simply can�t afford to feed them. So again this is a widespread problem with a government lacking the funds to feed its citizens, let alone enforce its laws.