A Sikh woman in her 30s has died after suffering life-threatening injuries at her home in London, Ontario, with police charging her 41-year-old husband, Mandeep Singh, with second-degree murder.Police are investigating the death of Raman Devi as a femicide and have said they are examining the “historical context of the relationship”.Devi died on September 15 following an incident at her home on Chelton Road in southeast London. Police said she and Singh were in an intimate relationship. Other family members were present at the house at the time, but no one else was injured.For those who knew Devi, the death has left a young family and a community grieving.Devi was just five months away from completing a registered massage therapy programme, a course she had pursued while raising her two young children.“She was excited to be done [school] and to start her career,” Devi’s friend and neighbour Sandra Sanchez said.“She was incredible. Kind, humble, caring, and always willing to help others if you have a problem. She was always there for you.”Sanchez said Devi and Singh had a four-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. Devi’s mother had travelled from India to stay with the family and help care for the children.“Raman was an amazing mother who gave everything for her children and her mom,” Sanchez said. “She loved her family deeply. Everything she did, it was for her family.”Devi’s son had started school for the first time just a week before her death, Sanchez said. The two friends would often spend time together in their neighbourhood, with Devi’s children riding their bicycles while Sanchez walked her dogs.“We had a lot of laughs,” Sanchez said.“She had a soft touch as a mom. Just last week, she talked to me about her youngest starting school, and she was emotional. I gave her a hug and told her it would be okay, and she gave me a smile.”Singh appeared in court on September 18 from the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre wearing an orange jumpsuit and requested the assistance of a Punjabi interpreter, reports CBC.The Criminal Code was amended earlier this year to make certain killings of women first-degree murder, including an intimate-partner killing committed in the context of a pattern of coercive or controlling conduct. Most of the changes took effect on July 18. Singh, however, has been charged with second-degree murder.Jessie Rodger, executive director of Anova, which supports survivors of gender-based violence in London, said intimate-partner violence can occur in any community.“People don’t want to believe that intimate partner violence can happen right next door to them, but it’s unfortunately a reality that is absolutely very common,” Rodger said.Sanchez has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to support Devi’s mother and children.Rodger said friends and neighbours can help by checking in and creating a safe space for people to speak about concerns.“We know there are lots of people who need somewhere to go that aren’t feeling safe enough to come forward,” she said. “There’s still a lot of shame and worry about coming forward, and a lot of risk in coming forward.”