� 1 million to murdered Brazilian

[Dom Tuk]

Is there a provision in our laws to provide such a compensation to families of victims before the completion of any enquiry/judicial procedings. If the offer was made then is it adding to the already messy situation for Ian Blair.

[kazza12345]

I have to agree with you there dom.  Surely it cant be from the criminal injuries compensation fund, because no criminal charges have been proved?

[Grunty]

The rumour is half a million but has been denied.  These payments are often made, not as an admission, but because they are much cheaper than long court cases (how many times have you seen a barrister or a judge on a bike?).  So far this seems to be the latest of a succession of inaccurate reports.

[Peter Pedant]

Does any one have a media reference for the half million offer?

I heard the family were offered half a million to make them go away -which as they are Venezuelan, I kinda believed....but I would still like to read some copy on this. Is it in the Fortean times ?

[bernardo]

Yes it is allowed - the letter said that it would be an "ex gratia" payment, which means that it is irrelevant to any future legal proceedings.  The offer seems to have been �15,000 rather than �1m.

[libertie]

Like bernardo I also heard that it was to be an ex gratia payment of �15.000 to help the family with travel and funeral costs.  Think this is going to be a case of the police not being able to do right for doing wrong!!

[andas]

Not having a go at anyone here, but people seem to forget, this guy shouldnt be in this country in the first place, if he went home when his visa expired, then we would have this problem,  let face it it isnt exactly peachy in brazil

[Dom Tuk]

His immigration status is of no consequence. If it is Ok to shoot overstayers then 1) we are worse than the taliban  2) more than three quarters of London will be exterminated. The state cannot take anyones life in this country and the guilty should be punished.

[camille79]

Well said Dom Yuk!  If you go down the line of andas then half of the British year-offers working in Oz probably shouldn't be there (outstayed or wrong visas).  We'd still be outraged if "one of our own" were killed in similar circumstances and the response was, "well, he shouldn't have been there in the first place!"

[andas]

Aye, Fair point, it just p*sses me of by the fact the brazillians are here sniffing around it was an unfortunate accident, and my sympathies for Mr De Memdes, but in brazill, one of the highest death rates by homicide, if he was shot there would there be a delegation of people running around to find out why he was shot ?, if a brit was shot in brazil, would you see our politicians jump around ?  I dont feel that there should be compensation paid out, before any enquiry or after,in these circumstances, fact was he was in breach of a law, it really p*sses me off by the fact that the victims of 07/07 have not recvd squat.

[luckyboy]

it was terrible what happened to the fella, but its become a political football used as a stick to beat the authorities with..by the liberals and usual anti iraq mob, theres been ten times more airtime and newsprint donated to this than to the far worse terrorist carnage in london..says it all really..

[maggie01]

 In all cases where compensation is offered. How can money ever compensate for the loss of a human being. Money seems to be the answer to everything. I know we can't live without it but this always seems so wrong. Its like saying if we had x amount of money everything will be alright but it still doesn't bring that person back.

[Gingerpants]

I feel sorry for the Brazilian and his family, but I feel political activists have used this opportunity to make trouble.  They are also overshadowing the other victims, the London bombing victims.  It makes me sick when people use a tragedy or outrage to score political points. Loads of these activists were at the Trafalgar Square vigil using our grief to advance their views.  I doubt they really giving a flying ferret about the victims of the bombings or us still commuting through London scared witless.  They see it as an opportunity.

Sorry I'm going off on one :).