🔗 Share this article

The remains of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been located inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her daughter, who had been missing for a number of months, were found on the end of last week. The freezers were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were arrested in June. The older man, a colleague of the female victim, informed authorities last week that there had been an incident—but disputed murder.

Addressing reporters recently, a official for the state prosecutor announced the pair were being detained on "strong suspicion of intentional killing".

The identities of those implicated have not been disclosed by authorities, in accordance with national regulations.

The vanishing of the mother and child was originally brought to light by the female victim's relative, who lives in Germany, on the 25th of July last year.

Police said the woman's colleague told them at the time she had embarked on an long journey with her child to visit her parents in the nation of Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then noted as being active in foreign locations several times.

Yet when officers searched the woman's home, her mobile phone was located.

A witness also claimed overhearing a commotion in the flat, and shouts of "mum" on the date the two were presumed to have gone missing.

A broader criminal probe was launched, with officers uncovering multiple communications transmitted via the woman's phone—among them a notice of quitting to her workplace and communications to the male colleague.

Law enforcement confirmed a amount in the thousands was also moved to the individual.

Katja Tersch told reporters on Tuesday that a storage facility had been secured before the vanishing and a freezing appliance had been placed there.

The brothers removed the freezer from the storage space on the date the woman and her child vanished, Tersch revealed. And a week later, they purchased an additional appliance.

Authorities state they believe this indicates the fatalities were intentionally orchestrated.

"The cause of death was not identifiable due to the advanced decay of the remains," she commented.

Mayr—representing the state—noted the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the remains were professionally hidden and were not found during a prior examination.

While the suspects were taken into custody in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the suspect admitted to an event and to concealing the remains. He disputes any murderous intent, authorities stated.

In a related development, his younger brother confessed to a cover-up but disputed knowledge of a murder.

The brothers are presently in custody awaiting trial in prisons in two Austrian cities, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

In a joint statement, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative declared the "alleged double murder... symbolizes the swift and cruel conclusion of a mother and child and uncovers a brutal scheme".

"Women and girls are being killed due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they continued.

"Murders of women are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must address decisively."