Vienna police are investigating the murders of four women and a teenage girl within a 24-hour period. A man is suspected of stabbing three women to death in a brothel in Austria’s capital on Friday, and has been apprehended. In a separate incident, a woman and her daughter were killed, with the father believed to be the perpetrator. Activists have labeled the day as “Black Friday”, demanding immediate measures to curb violence against women.
The bodies of the three women were discovered in a building in the central Brigittenau district around 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) following an emergency call. The suspect, identified as a 27-year-old Afghan national, was found hiding near the crime scene with a knife. His motive remains unclear.
Earlier that day, a 51-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter were found dead in an apartment in Erdberg, approximately 12km (seven miles) from the brothel. The incidents are not believed to be connected. Police are searching for the husband and father of the victims, suspecting him of strangulation or choking.
“The initial investigations indicate that blunt force was involved,” stated police spokesman Philip Hasslinger.
Eva-Maria Holzleitner, head of the women’s policy department of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPO), called for a crisis meeting to address femicide in Austria. Klaudia Frieben, leader of the Austrian Women’s Ring (OFR), referred to the day as “Black Friday” on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), marking it with the deaths of five women.
Recent data from the Institute of Conflict Research reveals that between 2010 and 2020, approximately 319 women were killed in Austria, predominantly by male partners or ex-partners. The coalition government has pledged nearly €25m (£21m) in 2021 towards initiatives aimed at protecting women from violence.
