BREAKING: A shocking domestic violence murder case has emerged in Sydney, where police took nearly 20 hours to enter the apartment of Tatiana Dokhotaru, despite her urgent plea for help. In a harrowing triple-0 call, she warned authorities, “My ex-boyfriend is here and he’s trying to kill me,” only to have her call cut off as her killer, Danny Zayat, threw her phone from the balcony of her 22nd floor apartment.
The timeline of this tragic event is chilling. After the call was disconnected, Zayat was seen fleeing the building just three minutes later on CCTV, having stolen her savings. Police arrived at the scene three hours post-call but left without entering the building or determining Dokhotaru’s exact location. Justice Desmond Fagan expressed deep concern over police inaction, stating, “They left without having gained access to any part of the building.”
By the following morning, Tatiana Dokhotaru was found dead, succumbing to blunt force injuries that caused a brain hemorrhage. Authorities returned to her apartment shortly before 7 PM the next day but were unable to reach her by phone or intercom. They finally gained entry almost 20 hours later, only to discover her lifeless body on the couch, marking a catastrophic failure in the response to her desperate call for help.
Zayat, who had a history of violent abuse towards Dokhotaru, was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in prison on Friday, October 20, 2023. During the trial, Justice Fagan detailed a disturbing pattern of control and manipulation that Zayat inflicted on Dokhotaru, including threats to kill her and physical assaults that escalated over their five-year relationship.
Dokhotaru had taken out a provisional apprehended domestic violence order against Zayat in April 2022, after a series of violent incidents. Yet, despite these measures, she remained trapped in a cycle of fear and intimidation. In her last messages to friends, she described living in “absolute hell,” fearing Zayat’s violent reactions to her reaching out for help.
The case has raised urgent questions about police protocols and response times when handling domestic violence cases. New South Wales Police have declined to comment due to an ongoing critical incident investigation.
This tragic event highlights not only the immediate dangers faced by victims of domestic violence but also the systemic failures in protecting them. As Zayat now awaits parole eligibility in 2043, the community mourns the loss of a life that could have been saved with a more effective response.
As this developing story continues to unfold, advocates are calling for reforms in domestic violence intervention protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future. The heartbreaking circumstances of Tatiana Dokhotaru’s death serve as a stark reminder of the urgency needed in addressing domestic violence and protecting vulnerable individuals.
Stay tuned for further updates on this critical issue.
