For more than three years they have sought justice over the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, the young Brazilian electrician gunned down by police at a south London tube station.

And yesterday, they were still waiting.

Though the de Menezes family spoke of their relief after the jury returned an open verdict at the inquest into their son's death, his mother launched a renewed attack on the way the inquest had been carried out.

Maria Otone de Menezes endured weeks of evidence about her son's final hours, and heard from the police firearms officers who shot him seven times in the head.

When coroner Sir Michael Wright ruled out an "unlawful killing" verdict, the de Menezes family withdrew their legal team in protest.

Before the jury delivered their verdict yesterday, the family condemned the proceedings as "a whitewash" and accused coroner Sir Michael White of failing "on every count of the purpose of an inquest investigation".

But following the verdict, Jean Charles's elderly mother said she felt "reborn" by news that police were under fire for the catalogue of mistakes that led to her son's death.

Mrs de Menezes, 63, was told of the verdict after campaigners left news with neighbours on a farm near her home in Brazil.

In a message read out at a press conference hosted by the Justice4Jean campaign, she said: "I am very happy with the verdict. Since the moment the coroner ruled out unlawful killing, I was feeling very sad.

"But today I feel reborn."

A statement delivered on behalf of the family by Patricia Armani Da Silva, a cousin of Mr de Menezes, praised the jury for deciding the case as they did.

Noting that the coroner's decision to rule out an "unlawful killing" verdict had prevented jurors from placing more blame on the actions of police, she said: "Today is a very important day for our family and campaign for justice. We have spoken to Jean's family in Brazil and they like us feel vindicated by the jury's verdict.

"The jury's verdict is a damning indictment of the multiple failures of the police and the lies they told. It is clear from the verdict that the jury could have gone further had they not been gagged by the coroner. We maintain that Jean Charles de Menezes was unlawfully killed."

Mr de Menezes's brother, Giovani da Silva, added: "We will carry on fighting because what we want is justice."

Since his death on July 22, 2005, the 27-year-old's family have campaigned for Mr de Menezes's killers to be tried and punished for their actions.

They are also calling for reforms to police "shoot-to-kill" policies, hoping to prevent a similar accident from occurring in future.

In a statement they said: "The law as it stands, effectively provides legal immunity for police officers who shoot innocent people in the cause of protecting the public."