Temporarily - people really don't want to interfere. Especially as sometimes abusers use that to create an 'us against the world' dynamic that tightens their control even more.
My best friend worked as a volunteer for years at a refuge for abused women and told me all kinds of stories. So when I found myself with a highly manipulative, emotionally abusive partner, even I knew, in my heart of hearts, from all my friend's anecdotes over the years that I'd got in that situation, too. I'd always seen women in such relationships as somehow 'weak' or less intelligent - how could you be in that situation and not get the hell out? I'm well educated (far more so than my ex), and so on. But, even though I knew what was happening - it happened. And I knew then it could happen to anyone - male or female.
Every single person around me told me later they knew and didn't want to do anything to interfere. Looking back, I'd had (small) alarm bells ringing from the start but a year or so in, I went from having a huge circle of friends to almost nobody - his jealousy made it impossible for me to meet or go out with anyone. Yet that didn't hold true for him, he had to be mysteriously 'free' to meet exes, or travel, or do whatever he wanted. The systematic cutting off all my friends and relatives was the biggest warning sign and I knew it was happening and yet - I couldn't do anything to stop it. And of course that meant there was no-one left close to me to 'save' me, anyway.
It is easy for outsiders to see but I think victims see it as well, although it is hard to believe YOU could be the one targeted and by the time you're fully aware, you have lost all those other people who would normally support you, or your link with them has been somehow weakened.
I kept a couple of friends and as most of my mates happened to be male, I had to keep them top secret so I'd end up going out secretly for a drink with one or two of them, and would have been put through hell if he found out so slowly even those friends fell away. But I also think part of me let him isolate me, to protect my friends from him, and also to save myself having to be told over and over, I was doing something dangerous and wrong.
Didn't mean to vent there just hoping you see something familiar in that.
The day I 'woke up' and walked out - was one of the best days of my life. Didn't feel like it at the time and I realise now, I have switched off all my emotions for many years since, just to survive. But I did the right thing by other people.
I know damn well all my friends had concerns. But no way to really voice them. I managed to salvage a few of my old friendships but with others I didn't try as time went past, I hated thinking those people might look at me in a certain way for the fact I was duped.
I managed to get sole parental responsibility for my kids in court and he was such a dick in court, he managed to get himself no direct contact. He hasn't seen the kids for nearly 14 years. He hasn't paid a penny for them either and now lives a life on permanent holiday (big inheritance) whilst we live on minimum wage in a council house we can barely afford the rent of, living from month to month. I still think I did the right thing. Chances are remote you will get non contact via the Family Courts - I was told less than 1% of parents manage to get their kids protected from an abusive ex to that extent. But I was one of the lucky ones. It can happen.