The grieving family of two Hungarian twin sisters who died in Aberdeen were forced to carry their remains home in a backpack after being unable to afford the staggering cost of repatriating their bodies in coffins.
A Devastating Discovery in the Dee
Henrietta and Eliza Huszti, both 32, vanished in Aberdeen on January 7. After an extensive search involving police divers and dogs, their bodies were recovered from the River Dee on January 31, close to where they were last seen on CCTV crossing the Victoria Bridge.
The sisters, who had lived in the UK for around a decade working in a café and as a hotel cleaner, were in regular contact with their family in Hungary and had shown no signs of distress.
A Heartbreaking Financial Burden
In an emotional interview, their brother, József Huszti, explained the family's agonising dilemma. He stated that the cost of transporting his sisters' bodies back to Hungary in coffins would have been approximately £45,000, a sum the family could not afford.
"We had to arrange the cremation because we didn't have enough money to bring them home in coffins," Mr Huszti told Hungarian media. The family instead made the journey carrying the sisters' urns in their backpacks. The twins were finally laid to rest in their hometown of Monor, Hungary, in June.
Family Rejects Police Conclusion, Demands Answers
While Police Scotland has concluded its investigation, stating it found no suspicious circumstances and submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal, the Huszti family vehemently disputes the findings.
"We still can't believe that my sisters committed suicide. We can't accept what the police said," József Huszti said. Their father, Miklòs, 63, has gone further, suggesting foul play. "I am sure that someone lured them to the waterfront and cruelly killed them," he told reporters, questioning the authenticity of a text message sent from their phones.
The family, who are still processing the immense loss, continue to light candles and display photos of the sisters, marking a painful first anniversary without them as they seek what they believe is the truth behind the tragedy.
