The McCanns...I dunno, something just sticks with me with them, but I can't deny that they've certainly kept trying throughout the years, whether it's through guilt or hope, who can say.
Personally, I suspect she was kidnapped and most likely sent off to the Middle East to someone with a lot of oil money who likes his brides young. If that is the case, it's not likely that the McCanns will see their daughter again, because there's a lot of money involved in this and that tends to make leads go dead very quickly.
I doubt it'll have done any real damage to UK/Portugese relations anyway, if it has then I've certainly not been made aware of it in the media, which has a pretty short memory anyway. Besides, I get the impression that our police force is about to have its own problems to deal with over 'plebgate'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24536328
Relations between politicians and the police have had their ups and downs over the years, but with the stabbing cuts, the pushing of PCSOs to make up the gap in regular officers and the constable bypass plans (which is ridiculous IMHO) have put things down to a new nadir, were it not for the police being one of the services that can't actually go on strike (thanks to legislation passed after the 1918 and 1919 strikes), I think they would have gone on strike by now like the Fire Brigade, and I really would not blame them. They're being asked to do more with less whilst being urinated by on the politicians and being told to smile whilst getting wet.