By now, even the most naive believer in the basic honesty of the British justice system must be vaguely discomforted by the news that yet again, the murderers of Jean Charles de Menezes will not be prosecuted despite an inquest jury returning an open verdict:
The family of Jean Charles de Menezes is to continue their legal battle by suing the Metropolitan police for damages for killing the Brazilian electrician, the Guardian has learned.
Yesterday the family were told that the two police marksmen who shot dead the innocent Brazilian after mistaking him for a terrorist will not face prosecution, despite a jury disbelieving key parts of their account of the killing.
In December a jury at the inquest into the killing returned an open verdict after hearing damning evidence of police blunders that led to the shooting.
He was killed on 22 July 2005 in a tube carriage by officers hunting for suicide bombers who had attacked London’s transport network the
previous day.
The inquest was never supposed to return an open verdict of course, with the coroner carefully attempting to guide the jury to the prefered conclusion, so it’s no wonder it’s now ignored by the crown prosecution service. The de Menezes killing is an embarassement, to be swept under the carpet as soon as possible and damn these ungrateful Brazilians for bringing it up again and again.