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The deceased of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been discovered inside freezing appliances in an apartment in western Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The freezers were concealed behind a false wall in the apartment, located in the Innsbruck area.

Two individuals, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were taken into custody in June. The 55-year-old, a work associate of the Syrian woman, stated to authorities last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but denied murder.

Addressing journalists recently, a official for the public prosecutor's office announced the pair were being detained on "serious suspicion of homicide".

Personal details of those implicated have been withheld by law enforcement, in accordance with Austrian law.

Their going missing was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who resides in Germany, on 25 July 2024.

Authorities revealed the 55-year-old suspect told them at the time she had gone on an long journey with her child to see her family in the nation of Turkey.

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

But when investigators searched the woman's home, her cellphone was located.

Someone also stated overhearing a loud noise in the flat, and cries of "mama" on the day the pair were thought to have disappeared.

A broader official inquiry was initiated, with investigators finding various messages sent from the woman's phone—among them a resignation letter to her workplace and messages to the 55-year-old suspect.

Authorities stated a amount in the thousands was also transferred to the man.

Katja Tersch stated to the press on that day that a rented space had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a cooling unit had been placed there.

The two suspects took out the cooling unit from the storage space on the very day the mother and daughter went missing, she said. And a seven days after, they purchased another freezer.

Investigators state they believe this suggests the fatalities were premeditated.

"The cause of death remains unclear due to the state of decomposition of the remains," she said.

A legal representative—from the legal authorities—noted the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the remains were expertly concealed and were not found during a earlier inspection.

While the men were arrested in the summer, it was only on the 12th of November that the suspect acknowledged an incident and to concealing the remains. He disputes any murderous intent, officials stated.

At the same time, his brother acknowledged a concealment but rejected knowledge of a killing.

The two suspects are currently in pre-trial detention in prisons in Innsbruck and Salzburg, situated at a distance.

Through a combined announcement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative said the "reported homicide of mother and child... constitutes the swift and cruel conclusion of a mother and child and exposes a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they went on to say.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and issue affecting all of society that we must combat firmly."