It is absolutely horrible. I saw an itv clip on tiktok then this thread, so I was unaware of this as well.
That poor, poor boy.
As for why he didn't say anything; he may well have been terrorised into keeping quiet, told he wouldn't be believed or that no one would care.
I'm from Eastern Europe myself and nothing on the same level as this but I didn't have the best upbringing and my parents told me all sorts of lies, including threatening to send me back to "live on a farm" and take my passport.
I was 11 when I found out that it wasn't legal to beat children in this country when the police or childline or something came into school to do a talk.