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LONDON: British police have agreed a compensation deal with the family of an innocent Brazilian who was shot dead in London four years ago after being mistaken for a suicide bomber, both sides announced on Monday.
The family of Jean Charles De Menezes "are pleased that a compensation package has been agreed which enables them to put these events behind them and move on with their lives", a joint statement issued by Scotland Yard said.
It did not say how much the deal is worth, and said that no further comments would be made on the agreement. The Daily Mail newspaper suggested it could be worth just 100,000 pounds (166,000 dollars, 111,000 euros).
The newspaper reported that a confidentiality clause had been included in the compensation deal. It suggested the award was scaled down because it was viewed that De Menezes would not have given his family much financial support.
De Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head in a train at Stockwell underground station, south London, on July 22, 2005, the day after a failed attempt to replicate the July 7 attacks in which four suicide bombers killed 52 people.
His family has long campaigned for justice, but an inquest into his death in December returned an open or inconclusive verdict, and in February prosecutors said they would not press charges against the police officers involved.
At that point, the De Menezes family said they would end their legal battle to see an individual brought to account for his death.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Stephenson apologised once again Monday for the death of De Menezes, who he said was a "totally innocent victim".
"The commissioner would like to take this opportunity of making a further unreserved apology to the family for the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes and to reiterate that he was a totally innocent victim and in no way to blame for his untimely death," the statement said.
It said the deal brought to an end to all litigation between the De Menezes family and the police, and both sides agreed not to comment further "in view of the physical and mental distress caused" to family members. - AFP/de
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