[philh]

> Why didn't police follow the thread?

Triage. In many places, the police have too many more important crimes on their hands to worry about a stolen bike.

> I suppose pawnshop owner should have compensate her.

Someone is inevitably getting screwed in this situation. It's not clear that the pawnshop owner deserves that any more than the buyer. (There are situations where ve would do, though.) This also depends on her being able to prove she bought it there, but it's likely that wouldn't be difficult.

[tinco]

In the Netherlands, when you buy something of which you know the price is too good to be true (and it is) you are charged with 'handling of stolen goods'. In this case the buyer probably paid a reasonable pawnshop price for the bike. If the pawnshop did not also offer a reasonable price for the bike then it would have committed a crime.