Multiple investigations underway after B.C. woman’s suspicious death in Australia
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, B.C., after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
A separate investigation has also been launched to look into the way police handled an emergency call the night before from a woman saying she was being assaulted in the same building.
Thirty-four-year-old Tatania Dokhotaru had an Apprehended Violence Order against her estranged partner which is similar to a protection order here in Canada.
Despite the AVO, police say they found 28-year-old Danny Zayat and the couple’s four-year-old son in the apartment when they located Dokhotaru’s body.
Zayat was arrested and faces a total of 18 domestic violence charges in relation to previous complaints from Dokhotaru.
He is being held without bail.
Friends say Dokhotaru sent them numerous pictures and videos of alleged domestic violence injuries over the course of the relationship but she stayed with her estranged partner because they had a child together.
"Of course using children is going to be a way in which abusers can stay in a survivor's life. My heart goes out to that little boy and to the family,” said Karen Alcantara, a domestic violence counsellor with the Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre.
Dokhotaru moved to Sydney more than a decade ago and her parents still live in B.C.
"No parent should ever have to outlive their child. We cry out for justice and have faith the truth will prevail. Please pray for us,” Olga Dokhotaru said in a statement to 9 News Australia.
New South Wales Police say an emergency dispatcher took a call just before midnight on Friday, May 26 from a woman claiming she was being assaulted and that someone was trying to take money from her in her apartment.
It took officers three hours to respond, and when they did they could not locate the caller in the 297-unit building.
"She provided no name, and the address for that phone call was a large block of units here in Liverpool,” said NSWP Asst. Comm. Stuart Smith.
Police would find Dokhotaru’s body at 8:00 p.m. the next day after being called by a neighbour.
An independent critical incident investigation will look into whether the police response to the initial emergency call was appropriate.
In the meantime, no charges have been laid in connection to Dokhotaru’s death which is being investigated by the NSWP homicide unit.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.