Disturbing Discovery: Bodies of Missing Mum and Daughter Located in Freezing Units in the Alpine Nation
The remains of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezers in an flat in the western part of Austria.
The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were uncovered on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a false wall in the flat, situated in the Innsbruck area.
Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were taken into custody in June. The 55-year-old, a work associate of the Syrian woman, informed law enforcement last week that there had been an incident—but rejected murder.
Speaking to journalists recently, a representative for the public prosecutor's office said the brothers were being held on "strong suspicion of murder".
Personal details of those implicated have not been disclosed by police, in compliance with national regulations.
The family's disappearance was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on the 25th of July last year.
Police revealed the 55-year-old suspect told them at the time she had taken an extended trip with her daughter to see her family in the nation of Turkey.
Her bank card was then discovered to be utilized in foreign locations on multiple occasions.
However when officers examined the woman's home, her smartphone was found.
A witness also reported hearing a commotion in the apartment, and screams of "mum" on the occasion the two were presumed to have gone missing.
A broader official inquiry was launched, with officers discovering multiple communications sent from the woman's phone—including a notice of quitting to her company and messages to the male associate.
Authorities stated a amount in the thousands was also transferred to the suspect.
The head of the State Criminal Police Office stated to the press on that day that a rented space had been leased before the mother and child went missing and a freezer had been positioned inside.
The two suspects extracted the appliance from the storage space on the date the mother and daughter disappeared, the official said. And a shortly afterward, they obtained an additional appliance.
Officials state they believe this indicates the demise were planned in advance.
"How they died was not identifiable due to the advanced decay of the remains," the official commented.
A legal representative—from the legal authorities—stated the exact sequence of events is yet to be determined, but the victims were expertly concealed and were not found during a prior examination.
While the brothers were taken into custody in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the elder brother confessed to an occurrence and to concealing the remains. He denies any murderous intent, authorities confirmed.
In a related development, his brother confessed to a concealment but rejected involvement in a homicide.
The brothers are at this time in detention before court proceedings in detention centers in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.
Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister stated the "reported homicide of mother and child... constitutes the abrupt and violent termination of two individuals and exposes a cruel system".
"Females of all ages are falling victim to homicide due to the simple reality that they are female," they continued.
"Gender-based killings are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must fight resolutely."