Jean Charles de Menezes: Mum hopes TV drama will 'show world the truth'

The 80-year-old mother of a man shot dead in a Tube station by police who mistook him for a terror suspect says she will continue to fight for him and "show the world the truth".

Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder by two police marksmen in Stockwell underground station on 22 July 2005.

His family have flown to London ahead of a new Disney+ four-part UK TV drama which looks at the events surrounding the 27-year-old's death.

The Metropolitan Police says the shooting is a matter of very deep regret. "Our thoughts remain with his family and we reiterate our apology to them."

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of her son's death, Maria de Menezes told BBC News she never wants to see other mothers suffer in the way she has.

She hopes the drama series will portray her son's true character and shed light on his story.

"I was reassured that the truth was being told," she says. "They were going to be truthful about the story unlike other media outlets and other reports previously which told lies."

She says she wanted the real story portrayed after incorrect initial reports that he jumped the barriers and hit police.

"It really annoys me because I know him. He came from me... My son was educated, civilised, who always respected law and order."

The drama series is told from multiple perspectives and examines what happened to the Brazilian electrician before, during and after he was pinned down by officers and shot in the head.

His brother, Giovani da Silva, says their family were consultants during the making of the series and believe the full story will now become clear to the world.

"We are very happy that the truth about my brother's life is being told. The life of struggle, his roots in rural Brazil and how he moved to another country in search of a better life."

Mr de Menezes was killed the day after failed bombing attempts on the London transport network, two weeks after the 7/7 bombings in central London.

No officers were prosecuted for the killing but the Met was fined for breaching health and safety laws.

In 2016, the family lost a human rights challenge over the decision not to charge any police officer for the fatal shooting.

The Metropolitan Police says the circumstances around his death "came at a time of unprecedented terrorist threat to London".

A spokesperson said the force had been subject to numerous public inquiries, including two separate reports by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now the IOPC).

"No officer sets out on duty intent on ending a life. Our sole purpose is the complete opposite – the protection and preservation of life – and we have taken extensive action to address the causes of this tragedy."

Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes

• 22 July 2005 Jean Charles de Menezes shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station

• 17 July 2006 CPS says no officers will be prosecuted, but Met Police will be tried for breaching health and safety laws

• 1 November 2007 Met Police found guilty of breaching health and safety laws and fined

• 22 October 2008 Inquest under way - coroner rules out unlawful killing verdict a month later

• 12 December 2008 Inquest jury returns open verdict

• 16 November 2009 Met Police settles damages claim with family

• 10 June 2015 De Menezes family take legal challenge to European Court of Human Rights

• 30 March 2016 Family lose challenge over decision not to charge any police officer over the shooting

The drama has been written and executively produced by Jeff Pope who says it's been five years in the making.

"It's taken an awful long time and there's a reason for that, because it's a huge responsibility and wasn't something that you could short-circuit".

"It was an incredibly difficult piece to wrangle and understand what you wanted to say. It was enormously important to speak to as many people as possible and to do the research. Every last detail."

The family says the loss of Jean still echoes in their hearts. His cousin Vivian Figueiredo, who breaks down in tears during the interview, says Jean's mother will never give up.

"It's just the obligation that she feels to fight for justice for him. She's 80, she just left this small town in Brazil, the other side of the world, to come here just to fight for him."

"The police should really be careful, not just suspect and kill because a life is priceless."

Towards the end of the interview, Vivian looks at her aunt and tells her she's brave. Maria hugs her and says: "It's not about being brave. It's about fighting, fighting to live."

Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes is available on Disney+ from 30 April, 2025.