The family and friends of a woman fatally stabbed in a domestic violence incident have paid tribute to the "loving mother" of two.Â
Detectives allege 39-year-old Lavanya Chappa was murdered at her home in Vermont, in east Melbourne, about 10pm on July 7.
Her husband, also aged 39, was charged with one count of murder and transported to hospital under police guard.
Ms Chappa's children, aged 13 and seven, were at home when she was stabbed but were not physically harmed, Victoria Police said.
Her cousin Govind Gudivada paid tribute to the well-respected software analyst in an online fundraiser that had raised almost $50,000 as of Monday afternoon.
"Lavanya was a loving mother, a cherished daughter, a devoted family member, a valued colleague, and a dear friend to so many," Mr Gudivada said.
"She will be remembered for her warmth, compassion, and the positive impact she had on everyone fortunate enough to know her."
Australian Femicide Watch, which tracks domestic violence deaths, said 36 Australian women had been killed in domestic violence-related murders in 2026.
They include 13-year-old Victorian girl Laila Jeffrey and a 17-year-old girl killed in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
Australia's national domestic violence commissioner Michaela Cronin described the recent domestic violence-related fatalities as tragic.
"It's heartbreaking and frustrating that we are not able to do more to intervene and help prevent them," she told ABC News on Monday.
"We need to have this national conversation, not just when these horrific homicides happen."
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