Paperwork and handing it off to a detective can mean absolutely nothing. If your case is weak in any area, identification or physical proof, it can just sit there. I know this from personal experience. But reporting has to be first step. You have to get it on record and the ball rolling or else you can't complain…

I understand her point and she's probably right.

It's a cultural constant in Muslim societies, but even so you're probably more likely to hear it when people are thanking God for protection and/or victory in some extreme situation (those being probably most of the situations where Muslim speakers make it into US or international news coverage, sadly).