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The remains of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezing appliances in an residence in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The freezers were hidden behind a drywall partition in the flat, situated in the Innsbruck area.

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were detained in the month of June. The elder brother, a work associate of the Syrian woman, informed law enforcement last week that there had been an accident—but rejected homicide.

Addressing the media recently, a spokesman for the state prosecutor announced the two suspects were being detained on "serious suspicion of homicide".

The names of those involved have not been disclosed by police, in following local legislation.

The vanishing of the mother and child was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who is based in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Authorities said the 55-year-old suspect claimed at the time she had gone on an long journey with her child to travel to her relatives in the nation of Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then found to have been used abroad several times.

Yet when investigators entered the victim's residence, her mobile phone was located.

A witness also reported listening to a loud noise in the dwelling, and shouts of "mother" on the day the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A wider police investigation was started, with investigators finding various messages sent from the victim's mobile—including a notice of quitting to her workplace and texts to the male colleague.

Authorities confirmed a four-figure sum was also moved to the individual.

Katja Tersch told the press on that day that a storage unit had been secured before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The male siblings extracted the freezer from the facility on the very day the victims vanished, Tersch stated. And a week later, they acquired another freezer.

Officials say they believe this suggests the demise were premeditated.

"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the condition of the victims," she stated.

Mayr—of the public prosecutor's office—said the precise timeline is not yet known, but the victims were professionally hidden and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

While the brothers were arrested in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the 55-year-old acknowledged an occurrence and to concealing the remains. He denies any intent to kill, authorities stated.

In a related development, his brother confessed to a cover-up but denied knowledge of a killing.

The pair are presently in custody awaiting trial in detention centers in Innsbruck and Salzburg, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister declared the "reported homicide of mother and child... constitutes the abrupt and violent termination of two individuals and uncovers a brutal scheme".

"Females of all ages are falling victim to homicide due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they continued.

"Murders of women are a strongly established and issue affecting all of society that we must combat firmly."