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The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezing appliances in an flat in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been missing for several months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The cooling units were placed behind a false wall in the dwelling, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

A pair of males, 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 female victim, told law enforcement last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed murder.

Speaking to reporters recently, a official for the legal authorities announced the two suspects were being kept in custody on "strong suspicion of intentional killing".

Personal details of those implicated have not been released by law enforcement, in accordance with Austrian law.

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

Investigators revealed the male associate claimed at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her child to see her family in Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then noted as being active abroad repeatedly.

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

An individual also stated hearing a commotion in the flat, and screams of "mother" on the occasion the pair were believed to have vanished.

A broader police investigation was started, with investigators finding various messages originating from the victim's mobile—such as a resignation letter to her employer and texts to the male colleague.

Officials said a significant cash transfer was also sent to the suspect.

Katja Tersch told media representatives on Tuesday that a rented space had been secured before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been placed there.

The male siblings extracted the freezer from the unit on the date the mother and daughter disappeared, Tersch revealed. And a seven days after, they purchased an additional appliance.

Authorities state they believe this indicates the fatalities were intentionally orchestrated.

"The cause of death could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the victims," the official stated.

The prosecutor's spokesman—representing the state—said the precise timeline is still unclear, but the victims were professionally hidden and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

While the brothers were detained in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the suspect acknowledged an incident and to storing the victims. He rejects any plan to cause death, investigators stated.

At the same time, his brother acknowledged a cover-up but disputed knowledge of a murder.

The brothers are at this time in pre-trial detention in prisons in two Austrian cities, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister said the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the swift and cruel conclusion of a mother and child and reveals a cruel system".

"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the sole reason that they are of the female gender," they continued.

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