Austria's capital, Vienna, has been rocked by a series of tragic deaths, with four women and a teenage girl losing their lives within a span of 24 hours, prompting
widespread shock and calls for urgent action to address violence against women.
In a gruesome incident on Friday, three women were fatally stabbed in a brothel in Vienna's central Brigittenau district. Police swiftly apprehended a 27-year-old Afghan national near the scene, wielding a knife. While the motive for the killings remains unclear, authorities are actively investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated tragedy, a 51-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter were discovered lifeless in an apartment in the Erdberg area. Investigators suspect the girl's father, who is also the woman's husband, may be responsible for their deaths. The police are currently searching for him, as initial findings suggest that blunt force may have been involved.
The harrowing sequence of events has prompted outrage and sorrow, with campaigners denouncing the day as "Black Friday" and urging immediate governmental intervention to combat femicide. Eva-Maria Holzleitner of the Social Democratic Party (SPO) has called for a national crisis meeting to address the alarming rise in violence against women, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive action plan to safeguard women's lives.
Klaudia Frieben of the Austrian Women's Ring (OFR) lamented the tragic loss of life, declaring that the day will be remembered as a dark chapter in history. Femicide statistics in Austria underscore the pervasive nature of the issue, with hundreds of women falling victim to violence, primarily at the hands of male partners or ex-partners.
The government has pledged to confront the crisis head-on, allocating substantial funds to initiatives aimed at protecting women from violence. However, the recent spate of killings highlights the pressing need for more concerted efforts to address the root causes of gender-based violence and ensure the safety and well-being of all women in Austria. Photo by Ivan Radic, Wikimedia commons.