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The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been found inside freezers in an residence in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on Friday. The cooling units were hidden behind a drywall partition in the dwelling, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were arrested in June. The 55-year-old, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an incident—but denied intentional killing.

Speaking to the media recently, a representative for the state prosecutor announced the pair were being detained on "serious suspicion of intentional killing".

The names of those concerned have not been released by authorities, in accordance with national regulations.

The family's disappearance was originally brought to light by the woman's cousin, who is based in Germany, on 25 July 2024.

Police stated the male associate claimed at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her child to visit her parents in Turkey.

Her bank card was then discovered to be utilized in foreign locations several times.

However when police searched the woman's home, her cellphone was found.

Someone also reported hearing a disturbing sound in the flat, and cries of "mother" on the day the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

An expanded criminal probe was started, with authorities discovering various messages transmitted via the woman's phone—including a notice of quitting to her employer and communications to the male associate.

Officials stated a four-figure sum was also sent to the suspect.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office stated to the press on that day that a rented space had been rented out before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been installed within.

The male siblings took out the cooling unit from the storage space on the date the victims vanished, she said. And a seven days after, they acquired a second unit.

Investigators believe they believe this indicates the demise were planned in advance.

"How they died could not be determined due to the state of decomposition of the remains," Tersch said.

Mayr—representing the state—said the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the bodies were carefully placed and were not found during a prior examination.

Although the brothers were taken into custody in the summer, it was not until November 12 that the 55-year-old acknowledged an incident and to storing the victims. He rejects any plan to cause death, investigators confirmed.

Meanwhile, his brother acknowledged a attempt to hide evidence but rejected knowledge of a murder.

The brothers are currently in custody awaiting trial in detention centers in two Austrian cities, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

In a joint statement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative said the "suspected killing of two... symbolizes the abrupt and violent termination of a mother and child and exposes a cruel system".

"Female individuals are being killed due to the mere fact that they are of the female gender," they continued.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and society-wide problem that we must address decisively."