Toddler died

“They were all so warm and friendly with each other!”

During the "Krone" newspaper's visit to the scene, residents describe their impressions.(Bild: Attila Molnar)

The shock runs deep in the small town in northern Lower Austria: Following the death of a 15-month-old toddler, the "Krone" newspaper visited the scene, meeting neighbors and acquaintances: They speak of how affectionate everyone was with each other, never suspecting that such a tragedy could be looming in the young family.

Many still cannot believe what happened in the late afternoon of February 18 in northern Lower Austria: a young father came home to his apartment at around 5 p.m. and found his 15-month-old son dead and the mother lying next to him, seriously injured. 

The police are treating it as a murder and attempted suicide, and the investigation is ongoing. Friends of the family, who wish to remain anonymous, cannot believe it: "The three of them were always so loving and warm with each other," is the unanimous opinion. The assumption among the population is that the child had a fatal accident, causing the mother to react impulsively and no longer want to live. The social media profile paints a loving picture of the 30-year-old mother, everything revolves around her son and her love for him.

A neighbor tells the same story: a beautiful young couple who were loving toward each other and hardly ever argued, always taking very good care of their little one. But then the father left the house for about two hours, and when he returned, the police and ambulance were suddenly standing in front of the house. That's all he knew.

During the "Krone" newspaper's on-site inspection, the residents describe their impressions.(Bild: Attila Molnar)

"On-site inspection"
A sausage stand is located directly opposite the balcony of the young family's apartment, where the horrific scene took place. "I often saw them on the balcony. But we were closed on Ash Wednesday, so no one was there," the manager explained to the "Krone," adding that they hadn't noticed anything about the large-scale police and ambulance operation in the late afternoon.

A bar a little further away was open. "But we only saw that the emergency services were there," explains the family who owns the bar. Apart from the rescue helicopter, they didn't notice much else. Neither the father nor the mother are likely to be regulars at either of the two establishments. 

My condolences to the whole family. It just goes to show that you can never really know someone completely. 

Der tief betroffene Bürgermeister

Minutes before, everything was quiet
Shortly before the emergency services were alerted, Franz S., who lives 300 to 400 meters away, passed by the apartment. "It was around 4:45 p.m. and everything was still quiet. At around 5:20 p.m., the helicopter landed," recalls the 73-year-old, who wishes the family all the best in these difficult hours. "There, at the corner of the house where the trash cans are now, the stork was erected in November 2024," he recalls, remembering the family's former happiness.

The mayor is almost lost for words: "I don't know the mother personally, but of course I know her by sight," says the local leader, deeply affected. He himself is the father of three children and finds it difficult to comprehend this human tragedy. "My sincere condolences go out to the family. If the community needs help, we are definitely available," the mayor announces immediately. It shows that you can never really know someone completely.