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

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her daughter, who had been missing for several months, were detected on Friday. The cooling units were concealed behind a false wall in the flat, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

Two individuals, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were detained in June. The 55-year-old, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told law enforcement last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but denied homicide.

Informing the media previously, a official for the state prosecutor said the brothers were being detained on "serious suspicion of murder".

Personal details of those concerned have been withheld by authorities, in following local legislation.

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

Police said the woman's colleague told them at the time she had taken an long journey with her child to visit her parents in the nation of Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then noted as being active overseas repeatedly.

However when investigators searched the mother's apartment, her smartphone was discovered.

An individual also stated listening to a disturbing sound in the dwelling, and screams of "mum" on the day the mother and child were thought to have disappeared.

A broader official inquiry was launched, with officers uncovering various messages originating from the woman's phone—such as a notice of quitting to her company and messages to the male colleague.

Authorities stated a amount in the thousands was also moved to the suspect.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed reporters on that day that a rented space had been rented out before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been placed there.

The male siblings extracted the freezer from the storage space on the day the mother and daughter vanished, Tersch said. And a shortly afterward, they obtained an additional appliance.

Investigators state they consider this points to the fatalities were planned in advance.

"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the victims," Tersch said.

A legal representative—from the legal authorities—stated the precise timeline is not yet known, but the remains were professionally hidden and were not found during a prior examination.

Although the men were detained in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the elder brother admitted to an incident and to hiding the bodies. He disputes any murderous intent, investigators said.

Meanwhile, his 53-year-old sibling confessed to a attempt to hide evidence but disputed knowledge of a homicide.

The brothers are presently in custody awaiting trial in prisons in Innsbruck and Salzburg, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Through a combined announcement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative stated the "reported homicide of mother and child... represents the sudden and brutal end of two individuals and reveals a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are being killed due to the simple reality that they are female," they went on to say.

"Gender-based killings are a profoundly embedded and society-wide problem that we must fight resolutely."