The 32-year-old and her 15-year-old daughter were found dead in their apartment in Vienna-Mariahilf. The post-mortem revealed that both were killed by trauma to the neck.
The investigations were already in full swing before the autopsy result, because according to the police, the finding situation indicated a crime. The bodies lay in the bedroom, which was locked. A doctor called the police on Thursday around 5:15 p.m. because the woman’s other children – two boys aged seven and nine – had come to her surgery alone, the executive said on Friday. The doctor first tried to reach the mother, which was unsuccessful. The police officers from the Tauber-Stummengasse Inspection then picked up the children and drove them home to Mollardgasse.
Officers found the front door open. “They went into the apartment and didn’t see anyone at first. They found the two bodies in a room whose door was closed,” said police spokesman Markus Dittrich on Friday. The dead are lying in bed in the darkened room, lifeless and lying on their stomachs. The emergency doctor could only have determined the death of the mother, a Hungarian, and daughter. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office took over the further investigations. “The coroner was at the scene of the crime that night,” said Dittrich.
The two boys were first taken to a police inspection and are now being looked after by a crisis intervention team. The more detailed circumstances, in particular who is responsible for the death of the two women, is now the subject of ongoing investigations.
Search for Tunisian
The partner is said to be a 49-year-old Tunisian. He was visiting the night before. When the boys woke up in the morning, the man was already gone. The officials could not have found the man at his home address – now they are looking for him. Contrary to media reports to the contrary, he has no criminal record.
Police spokeswoman Irina Steirer said that one could only speculate about the possible motive for the crime.
“Massive Hate Against Women”
According to the APA census, the two women are the 22nd and 23rd suspected killings of a woman in Austria this year. Before that, 13 suspected femicides had been committed by (ex-)partners. Eight other women were killed this year, two by their sons. In another case, the son is considered a suspect and is still being sought. Two women were killed by other women, three by unrelated people. In addition, a six-year-old girl died at the hands of her father, who then committed suicide.
Maria Rösslhumer from the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters (AÖF) criticized on Friday evening in the ORF “ZiB Nacht” that although there are good laws to protect women in Austria, they are not properly implemented. “We experience again and again that women are unfortunately abandoned by the authorities, not taken seriously and often not given adequate support.” Rösslhumer spoke of “massive hatred against women,” violence and day-to-day sexism. The government is doing a lot to counteract this, “but we need a holistic approach”. The perpetrators are often not really held accountable. In addition: “We feel the accumulation of the crisis.” Social unrest is increasing, as is aggression against women.
Maria Rösslhumer from the Association of Autonomous Women’s Shelters as a guest at the “ZIB Night”:
Source: Nachrichten
