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The bodies of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezers in an apartment in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were detected on the end of last week. The cooling units were concealed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, located in the city of Innsbruck.

A pair of males, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were detained in the month of June. The older man, a work associate of the Syrian woman, stated to law enforcement last week that there had been an accident—but denied murder.

Informing reporters earlier, a representative for the public prosecutor's office announced the brothers were being held on "strong suspicion of intentional killing".

The names of those concerned have not been disclosed by law enforcement, in accordance with national regulations.

The vanishing of the mother and child was first reported by the cousin of the mother, who is based in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Authorities stated the woman's colleague told them at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her daughter to visit her parents in the nation of Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then discovered to be utilized abroad several times.

However when police examined the woman's home, her mobile phone was discovered.

Someone also stated hearing a commotion in the flat, and cries of "mum" on the occasion the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A wider police investigation was started, with officers discovering several texts sent from the victim's mobile—such as a resignation letter to her workplace and texts to the 55-year-old suspect.

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

A senior police official stated to media representatives on that day that a storage unit had been secured before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been positioned inside.

The brothers extracted the cooling unit from the facility on the date the mother and daughter vanished, she said. And a week later, they acquired an additional appliance.

Officials say they think this indicates the demise were planned in advance.

"How they died could not be determined due to the condition of the bodies," Tersch said.

A legal representative—representing the state—said the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the bodies were carefully placed and not discovered during a earlier inspection.

While the brothers were taken into custody in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the 55-year-old acknowledged an incident and to storing the victims. He disputes any murderous intent, authorities stated.

Meanwhile, his younger brother confessed to a attempt to hide evidence but denied awareness of a homicide.

The two suspects are currently in custody awaiting trial in jails in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.

Via a shared communication, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative said the "suspected killing of two... represents the abrupt and violent termination of two individuals and exposes a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are being murdered due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they went on to say.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must address decisively."