I agree with most of that, but I do have a caveat. Until I find anything to the contrary, I'll assume that the PJ side of Op Grange are doing their best with the resources at hand. There doesn't seem to be any centralised system (common database) between the GNR/PSP/PJ to share information at the moment (although work may have begun).
A tiny team can't be expected to collate every incident from various police forces, many of which may have been recorded on a typewriter and filed in boxes (heaven knows where) on their own.
IMO very few police investigations anywhere in the world will ever run as they should.
Hindsight is an exact science.
I am sorry to sound as if I am blaming the Portuguese police for everything that went wrong with Madeleine’s case, because I am very well aware of the sterling work which was carried out at the time.
I think this is evidenced by the amount of hard work put in by the plodding [not an insult, just recognition of methodical practice] persistence of the GNR which has provided the evidence which is enabling NSY and the PJ to turn up these lines of inquiry today.
But it cannot be argued that elementary mistakes were made.
I think the Portuguese authorities were wrong to charge Dr Amaral with the case of a missing child.
His expertise lay in thief taking and organised crime and I think neither he nor his team were equipped with the training in child protection necessary in a case of this kind.