Shame the incident didn't occur in England, where PACE applied.
Why is it you folks cannot get your head around - the incident occurred in Portugal - where English laws do not apply?
What is difficult about that?
The English/British have a history of believing that their way is the best way. During the days of the British Empire they imposed their way on many others.
Of course the Portuguese weren't among them. Portugal had it's own Empire, the first global Empire in history and the longest lasting modern european colonial empire; almost 600 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_EmpireSo Portugal has a proud history and people too. Not a country likely to be enthusiastic about anything they might see as interference in or criticism of their ways of doing things. As evidenced by the reply of Kate's interpreter;
When he asked me if it was the first time I had been to Portugal I said, ‘Yes. Never again!’ The interpreter turned to me and said, ‘Mrs McCann, this could have happened anywhere.’ She was right, of course, and I was a bit ashamed of that remark,
[Madeleine]