NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Nearly three years after a New Jersey woman's murder, her husband filed a lawsuit against local police, alleging that they ignored his wife's complaints about the man who eventually stabbed her to death in 2020.
The lawsuit claims that the authorities, instead of investigating, advised Divna Rosasco, a 51-year-old mother from Bergen County, to seek psychiatric help.
Victor Rosasco, the husband of Divna filed the lawsuit on Sept. 22, NJ.com reported.
According to authorities, Divna died in her Cresskill home, where she was pushed down stairs and stabbed 55 times, with her body later found in Overpeck County Park's boat basin in Teaneck.
Nicolas Coirazza, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder in this case and is currently serving a 50-year sentence.
The lawsuit highlights that Divna and Victor Rosasco had alerted both the police and Cresskill High School officials about inappropriate messages sent by Coirazza to their 14-year-old daughter.
Their concerns were allegedly dismissed, and Divna was told she might need psychiatric care.
The lawsuit accuses the authorities, including the high school principal and the now-retired police chief, of failing to conduct a thorough investigation into these claims.
The lawsuit suggests that Divna was effectively labeled as overreactive rather than being taken seriously.
The Rosascos even met Coirazza personally at a Dunkin' store to tell him to leave their daughter alone.
"During the meeting, the confident Coirazza remained undeterred, refusing to stop communicating with (the daughter), telling Victor that he was only trying to 'help' her, and that this is what he did with other 'troubled' teens," the lawsuit stated.
In early 2020, Divna reported to school authorities that Coirazza was grooming her daughter, where Principal John Massaro allegedly told her she "needed to seek psychiatric care."
Both Massaro and borough officials have not commented on the lawsuit, according to nj.com.
In June 2020, Divna approached Cresskill police telling them that Coirazza had been exploiting her daughter for sexual purposes but the ensuing report to child services downplayed the severity, leading to no action, the lawsuit claimed.
On on June 14, 2020, Divna had an argument over her daughter's communication with Coirazza and took away her daughter's phone.
Coirazza was hiding in the house at the time.
He then pushed her down the stairs and killed her.
He then enlisted the help of her daughter and they dumped the body in the Overpeck County Park boat basin, according to the lawsuit.
Following the murder, Coirazza and the daughter were arrested.
The daughter faced juvenile charges, the details of which are not disclosed.
Coirazza, already convicted, is in prison.
