🔗 Share this article

The remains of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezing appliances in an residence in the western part of Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The freezers were hidden behind a plasterboard wall in the apartment, situated in the Innsbruck area.

A pair of males, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were taken into custody in the month of June. The elder brother, a colleague of the female victim, informed police last week that there had been an accident—but rejected intentional killing.

Speaking to reporters earlier, a representative for the legal authorities said the pair were being detained on "high likelihood of homicide".

The names of those concerned have not been disclosed by law enforcement, in following Austrian law.

Their going missing was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on 25 July 2024.

Authorities stated the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had embarked on an long journey with her child to see her family in Turkey.

Her bank card was then found to have been used abroad several times.

However when investigators entered the mother's apartment, her cellphone was discovered.

A witness also claimed hearing a commotion in the apartment, and shouts of "mama" on the day the pair were thought to have disappeared.

A broader police investigation was launched, with authorities finding several texts originating from the mother's device—including a notice of quitting to her company and communications to the male associate.

Authorities said a four-figure sum was also sent to the man.

Katja Tersch stated to media representatives on recently that a storage unit had been rented out before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been positioned inside.

The male siblings removed the appliance from the facility on the day the mother and daughter vanished, Tersch stated. And a seven days after, they obtained another freezer.

Authorities say they think this indicates the deaths were planned in advance.

"The cause of death was not identifiable due to the advanced decay of the victims," the official stated.

Mayr—of the public prosecutor's office—stated the precise timeline is not yet known, but the remains were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

While the brothers were detained in the summer, it was only on 12 November that the suspect admitted to an incident and to concealing the remains. He rejects any murderous intent, authorities said.

At the same time, his younger brother acknowledged a attempt to hide evidence but denied involvement in a killing.

The brothers are presently in custody awaiting trial in jails in separate locations, situated at a distance.

In a joint statement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative stated the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the abrupt and violent termination of two individuals and exposes a brutal scheme".

"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the mere fact that they are women and girls," they added.

"Femicides are a profoundly embedded and widespread concern that we must fight resolutely."