Her name was Nikkita Azzopardi. She was supposed to be at a family lunch.

Shaun Azzopardi was worried about his sister.

Nikkita Azzopardi hadn't shown up for a family barbeque being held at their father's home on Sunday, and the family had grown increasingly concerned about her wellbeing.

Her father went to her Reid Street home in South Morang, Melbourne that evening, but no one answered the door.

"My dad came here last night, the lights were on and he banged on the door, no one was answering, he went back home," Mr Azzopardi said.

The family continued to try to contact Nikkita the next morning, and when they received no response, Shaun went back to the home with family members. He found his beloved sibling dead in her home. He had to barge through a door allegedly barricaded by a 33-year-old man known to her.

"I barged in there and my father and my brother tried to look for her," Mr Azzopardi told reporters on Monday. "He barricaded the doors with chairs but I went upstairs and I went through the door and just saw my sister (dead)."

"I can't get that image out of my head," he said, adding, "It just feels like a dream, to be honest... doesn't feel real."

Emergency services were called to the home in South Morang, Melbourne, at about 10am on Monday where they confirmed the death and identity of 35-year-old Nikkita Azzopardi.

Nikkita Azzopardi was found dead by her family. Her partner, Joel Micallef has been arrested. Image: Nine.

Mr Azzopardi described his younger sister, who had been in a relationship for at least two years, as a gentle soul who would help anyone.

"She'll do anything for anyone... she didn't see the bad in people and always saw the good," he said. "You think it's not going to happen to you, to your sister, your brother, but I'm not going to see my sister again."

The last time Mr Azzopardi saw his sister alive was at his son's 15th birthday which she had arranged at a go-karting venue.

"In hindsight, if you knew it was the last time, you'd be doing more, you'd be asking more, you'd be taking pictures," he said. "I don't know my father's state, my mum's state, my brother's state — how do you move past this, how do you get through it?"

Homicide detectives are still piecing together what happened, but arrested the 33-year-old man who will be interviewed in relation to the death.

"They both spent time at this house but in relation to their living arrangements, investigations are still ongoing," Victoria Police Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun O'Connell told reporters on Monday.

"The exact nature of their relationship is still under investigation," he said. "What I can confirm is that the parties are known to each other and that we aren't searching for anybody else in relation to this incident."

Police confirmed the man was not known to them.

71 women have allegedly been killed as a result of murder, manslaughter or neglect in 2024, according to the Red Heart Campaign which tracks and memorialises the deaths across Australia.

Police respond to reports of family violence every five minutes in Victoria — totalling more than 98,000 incidents in the 12 months to June — according to crime statistics.

Nikkita Azzopardi is the 71st Australian woman killed this year.

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Mamamia is a charity partner of RizeUp Australia, a national organisation that helps women, children and families move on after the devastation of domestic and family violence. Their mission is to deliver life-changing and practical support to these families when they need it most. If you would like to support their mission you can donate here.