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

The victims, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were found on the end of last week. The cooling units were placed behind a drywall partition in the apartment, located in the Innsbruck area.

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in the month of June. The elder brother, a work associate of the female victim, stated to police last week that there had been an accident—but disputed murder.

Speaking to reporters recently, a spokesman for the legal authorities announced the two suspects were being held on "high likelihood of homicide".

The identities of those involved have not been disclosed by authorities, in accordance with Austrian law.

The family's disappearance was initially flagged by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators revealed the woman's colleague claimed at the time she had gone on an extended trip with her child to travel to her relatives in Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then discovered to be utilized abroad several times.

But when investigators examined the victim's residence, her mobile phone was discovered.

An individual also stated overhearing a commotion in the flat, and screams of "mama" on the occasion the two were presumed to have gone missing.

An expanded official inquiry was initiated, with investigators discovering various messages sent from the woman's phone—such as a job termination message to her company and messages to the male associate.

Officials said a amount in the thousands was also moved to the suspect.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office stated to media representatives on Tuesday that a storage unit had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The brothers took out the cooling unit from the storage space on the date the victims disappeared, she revealed. And a week later, they acquired a second unit.

Investigators believe they think this indicates the deaths were intentionally orchestrated.

"The reason for their demise remains unclear due to the advanced decay of the remains," the official said.

A legal representative—of the public prosecutor's office—said the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the victims were expertly concealed and were not found during a prior examination.

Although the men were arrested in June, it was only on the 12th of November that the suspect acknowledged an incident and to storing the victims. He denies any intent to kill, investigators confirmed.

At the same time, his younger brother acknowledged a concealment but disputed involvement in a killing.

The brothers are currently in custody awaiting trial in detention centers in separate locations, situated at a distance.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister stated the "alleged double murder... symbolizes the sudden and brutal end of a mother and child and reveals a heartless setup".

"Women and girls are being killed due to the sole reason that they are of the female gender," they went on to say.

"Gender-based killings are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must fight resolutely."