Tragic Discovery: Bodies of Mother and Daughter Found in Freezers in Austria

Tue Nov 18 2025 21:58:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a harrowing development, authorities in Austria have uncovered the bodies of a 34-year-old Syrian woman and her 10-year-old daughter, hidden inside freezers in an apartment in Innsbruck. This disturbing case has raised questions about violence against women and children.

The remains of a missing mother and daughter were found in freezers concealed in a drywall partition in their apartment in Innsbruck, Austria. Two men, previously arrested, are suspected of premeditated murder. This tragic incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based violence.

The bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria.

The remains of the Syrian woman and child, who had been missing for several months, were discovered on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a drywall partition in the flat, located in the city of Innsbruck.

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in June. The older man, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told police last week there had been an accident - but denied murder.

Hansjörg Mayr, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office, stated that the men are held on strong suspicion of murder.

Police have withheld the names of the individuals involved, adhering to Austrian law. The family's disappearance was first reported by the woman's cousin living in Germany on 25 July 2024.

Initially, the woman's colleague claimed she had gone on an extended trip to visit her parents in Turkey, as evidenced by her bank card being used abroad several times. However, during a search of her home, her mobile phone was discovered.

Witnesses reported hearing loud noises and cries from the apartment on the day of the alleged disappearance, leading to a wider police investigation.

Authorities found that a storage unit had been rented shortly before the victims' disappearance, where a freezer had been stored. On the day they went missing, the brothers reportedly removed the freezer from the unit and obtained another one about a week later, which raises suspicions of premeditated actions.

While the exact cause of death could not be determined due to decomposition, Mayr indicated that the bodies had been professionally hidden and eluded prior searches by law enforcement.

After months of investigation, the 55-year-old man reportedly admitted to hiding the bodies, although he denied any intention to kill. His brother acknowledged a cover-up without admitting knowledge of a homicide. They currently remain in pre-trial detention.

In response, Austria's Minister for Women and Justice condemned the incident, emphasizing that gender-based violence is a pervasive issue that requires immediate societal action.

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