The bodies of the three women were discovered in a building in the central Brigittenau district around 21:00 local time, following a report from a witness who contacted emergency services.
A suspect,
identified as a 27-year-old Afghan national, was apprehended near the brothel while attempting to conceal himself with a knife in hand. Although the motive for the killings remains unclear, the suspect has been taken into custody and is being questioned by authorities.
In a separate incident earlier on the same day, a 51-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter were found dead in an apartment located in the Erdberg area, approximately 12 kilometers away from the site of the previous incident.
Investigators suspect the girl’s father to be responsible for the deaths. Police are currently in pursuit of the woman’s husband, who remains at large.
Activists have labeled the day as “Black Friday” and are urgently advocating for measures to combat violence against women.
Klaudia Frieben, leader of the Austrian Women’s Ring (OFR), took to the social media platform X to express that
“this day will go down in history as Black Friday with five dead women.”
