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The grieving mother of murdered woman Celeste Manno has revealed how the justice system failed her daughter, who was stalked and murdered by an obsessed colleague.
Aggie Di Mauro told 60 Minutes that her 23-year-old daughter had done everything she could to stop Luay Nader Sako from harassing her, but it wasn’t enough.
In November 2020, the 35-year-old broke into Celeste’s home in the middle of the night and murdered her while she slept.
Last week, Judge Jane Dixon sentenced Sako to 36 years behind bars for the ‘appalling crime’.
Celeste Manno’s mother, Aggie Di Mauro (both pictured), has claimed the justice system failed her daughter after her killer avoided life in prison last month
But Ms Di Mauro said that was not enough.
‘Tthe victim doesn’t exist, it’s all been shocking and it’s just wrong, Di Mauro told 60 Minutes.
‘There is nothing about the victim.’
She claims the criminal justice system has failed her daughter for a second time by showing her killer mercy.
Judge Dixon had declined to sentence Sako to life on February 29 after finding he had significant mental health problems that had impaired his judgement.
Mrs Di Mauro said Sako deserved to spend life in prison for brutally cutting her daughter’s life so short.
Sako had worked with her victim at a cell center and developed romantic feelings for her.
He sent Celeste several messages on social media, which she politely declined. He was not deterred.
In July 2020, Celeste called the police fearing for her safety.
Di Mauro said she believed Sako had ‘learned her lesson’ and ‘became scared’ not to contact her daughter again.
‘Everything stops. He disappears. We literally thought it was over, she said.
But about four months later, Sako tracked her to her house, climbed through her bedroom window and stabbed her to death.
‘Never ever did it occur to me… ..that this beast would be capable of something like this,’ said Mrs Di Mauro.
Sako (pictured in handcuffs) was denied a life sentence on February 29 after it was determined he had significant mental health problems that had impaired his judgment
Ms Di Mauro said the attention Celeste received from him was neither wanted nor reciprocated.
She said Sako had made her daughter’s life miserable, but the police initially did not take the young woman’s complaints seriously.
The grieving mother called for reform of stalking laws and the way police respond to alleged victims.
“I promised Celeste that I would get her justice somehow,” Di Mauro said.
Victoria’s Law Reform Commission launched an inquiry into the aftermath of Celeste’s murder, with 45 recommendations from the report since adoption.
But Mrs Di Mauro said she has been disappointed by the delays in introducing such reform since her daughter’s death almost four years ago.
“I got promises, promises and, silly me, I believed it all,” she said.
‘And we know that right now, if Celeste’s situation arose— in the same way – it would happen again.’