The bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria, creating a tragic and disturbing narrative that highlights ongoing concerns about violence against women.
The remains of the Syrian mother and child, who had been missing for several months, were discovered on Friday when authorities conducted a search at a property in Innsbruck. The freezers were specifically hidden behind a drywall partition of the apartment.
Two men, aged 55 and 53, were arrested in June in relation to the case. The older sibling, a colleague of the missing woman, indicated to police last week that an accident had occurred but denied any involvement in murder.
Hansjörg Mayr, a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office, has stated that the suspects are being held on strong suspicion of murder. As investigations progressed, it was revealed that the family's disappearance was first reported by the woman's cousin in Germany on July 25, 2024.
Initially, police were informed that the mother and daughter had embarked on an extended trip to visit family in Turkey. However, further investigations revealed inconsistencies; notably, the woman's mobile phone was located in her home during a search, despite her supposed travels.
Moreover, witnesses reported hearing unusual noises, including cries of mama, around the time of their disappearance, prompting authorities to launch a more thorough investigation. Messages sent from the mother's phone indicated she was attempting to resign from her job, and there were indications of substantial amounts of money being transferred to her colleague.
Katja Tersch, head of the State Criminal Police Office in Tyrol, confirmed that prior to the victims' disappearance, a storage unit was rented, where a freezer was placed. The suspects allegedly removed this freezer on the day the woman and her child went missing and acquired another one shortly thereafter, leading investigators to suspect premeditation.
While the exact cause of death remains undetermined due to the state of decomposition of the bodies, reports have surfaced indicating that the bodies were professionally hidden to evade earlier police investigations.
Despite being apprehended in June, it was not until November 12 that one suspect admitted to a fatal incident and the concealment of the bodies, while denying any intent to kill. His brother acknowledged involvement in covering up the incident but denied knowledge of a homicide.
Currently held in pre-trial detention in separate facilities, the brothers' case has drawn critical attention from Austria's Minister for Women Eva-Maria Holzleitner and Justice Minister Anna Sporrer, who issued a statement condemning the violence and emphasizing that femicides represent a systemic societal issue that must be addressed urgently.
