Crime scene (stock)
Crime scene (stock)ISTOCK

Austrian police have arrested three boys of Afghan descent on suspicion of brutally raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl in Vienna.

The girl's body was discovered about a week ago in northeastern Vienna and local police arrested two 18- and 16-year-old Afghan refugees, known for multiple previous offenses.

The investigation revealed that the two were acquainted with the girl and she came to their apartment of her own free will. They took advantage of this to drug and rape her.

One of the suspects has linked himself to the rape but denied that he murdered the girl and the other kept silent during his interrogation. Police have arrested another asylum seeker from Afghanistan on suspicion of involvement in the murder.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz expressed shock at the assassination. "We cannot tolerate a situation where asylum seekers who are supposedly seeking protection are committing crimes in our borders. We must take a firm hand against asylum seekers who are convicted of crimes and deport them from Austria."