Tragic Find: Bodies of Missing Mother and Child Located in Freezing Units in the Alpine Nation

The bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezing appliances in an flat in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were detected on the end of last week. The freezers were hidden behind a false wall in the dwelling, situated in the Innsbruck area.

Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in June. The older man, a colleague of the female victim, stated to police last week that there had been an accident—but denied intentional killing.

Addressing journalists previously, a representative for the legal authorities said the two suspects were being detained on "serious suspicion of homicide".

The identities of those concerned have been withheld by law enforcement, in following national regulations.

Their going missing was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who lives in Germany, on the 25th of July last year.

Police said the male associate told them at the time she had gone on an long journey with her child to see her family in Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then discovered to be utilized overseas on multiple occasions.

However when investigators examined the woman's home, her smartphone was located.

A witness also reported overhearing a disturbing sound in the apartment, and cries of "mother" on the day the mother and child were presumed to have gone missing.

A broader criminal probe was initiated, with authorities discovering several texts originating from the mother's device—such as a resignation letter to her workplace and texts to the male colleague.

Officials stated a amount in the thousands was also transferred to the individual.

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 cooling unit had been installed within.

The two suspects took out the cooling unit from the storage space on the date the victims went missing, Tersch said. And a seven days after, they obtained a second unit.

Investigators believe they consider this suggests the fatalities were planned in advance.

"The reason for their demise remains unclear due to the condition of the remains," the official said.

A legal representative—from the legal authorities—said the exact sequence of events is yet to be determined, but the victims were professionally hidden and not discovered during a prior examination.

Although the men were taken into custody in June, it was not until November 12 that the 55-year-old admitted to an event and to concealing the remains. He rejects any intent to kill, authorities confirmed.

In a related development, his 53-year-old sibling admitted to a concealment but denied awareness of a murder.

The pair are at this time in pre-trial detention in prisons in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister declared the "alleged double murder... constitutes the abrupt and violent termination of two human lives and uncovers a brutal scheme".

"Female individuals are being killed due to the sole reason that they are women and girls," they continued.

"Gender-based killings are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must address decisively."