Three men, teenage boy charged for murdering women and girls

In less than a week, four Australian women and girls have allegedly been killed by men and boys known to them.

From 4 to 7 July, 13-year-old Layla Jeffery, an unnamed 17-year-old girl, 39-year-old Lavanya Chappa, and 30-year-old Jana Armstrong were allegedly murdered.

The deaths bring Australian Femicide Watch’s toll of women and children lost to violence in 2026 to 54.

TDA is using the word “allegedly” because there are pending court cases in all four instances.

Background

Over the course of last week, four families and communities have been impacted by fatal violence in Victoria, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.

In each case, police allege the victim knew the person accused of killing her. Three men and one boyhave each been charged with murder.

The circumstances differ, but the four deaths form part of a broader pattern of violence against women and girls in Australia.

Victims

Lavanya Chappa, 39

Lavanya was a software quality assurance analyst, described by her cousin as a “loving mother” of a 13-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son, and a “dear friend to so many.”

Police allege on 7 July, a 39-year-old man fatally stabbed Chappa at her home in Vermont, a suburb in Melbourne’s east.

Police say the man, who was known to her, has been charged with murder. He is yet to enter a plea. The charge has not been tested in court.

Unnamed girl, 17

The Yolŋu teenager lived in Galiwin’ku, a remote community on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory.

Police declared the 17-year-old girl deceased on 6 July after reports she was unconscious at a residence.

A 34-year-old man, who police described as being “in a domestic relationship” with the girl at the time of her death, was charged with murder.

He is yet to enter a plea. The charge has not been tested in court.

Layla Jeffery, 13

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Layla was from Donald, a small town in western Victoria. A family friend and local councillor described her as a “gentle, quiet little girl who just loved life.

The 13-year-old was last seen on 4 July, and reported missing on 5 July. Her body was found on 9 July.

A 16-year-old boy, who police say was known to Layla, was charged with murder.

He is yet to enter a plea. The charge has not been tested in court.

Jana Armstrong, 30

Jana lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, and was described by her cousin as “glue for the family.” She was the mother of a four-month-old boy.

Armstrong was reported missing after last being seen on 7 July. Her body was found on 11 July.

Police charged a 48-year-old man, believed to be known to her, with murder.

He is yet to enter a plea. The charge has not been tested in court.

National toll

Australian Femicide Watch, created by researcher and journalist Sherele Moody, reports 37 Australian women and 17 children have been killed so far in 2026.

Moody tracks reported deaths of women and children from murder, manslaughter and neglect.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, in 2024-25 women were almost six times more likely than men tobe killed by an intimate partner than a stranger. Men were more than twice as likely as women to kill partners of the opposite sex.

Murders in Australia 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025, by victim’s relationship to offender