Iris Stalzer, the mayor-elect of Herdecke, Germany, remains in critical condition after sustaining up to 13 stab wounds to her stomach and back in an attack at her home.
Emergency services airlifted Stalzer to Knappschaft University Hospital in Bochum shortly after the incident.
Hospital officials confirmed she is in critical condition and receiving intensive care.
Authorities detained Stalzer’s adopted 15-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter for questioning.
Police are investigating potential family involvement in the attack, though no official motive has been established.
Emergency responders were dispatched to Stalzer’s residence at 12:40 p.m., after the teenagers reported the stabbing. This is according to the German news outlet Bild.
The 15-year-old son told police that Stalzer was attacked by “several men” outside the apartment. However, investigators have found no witnesses to corroborate his version of events.
Police took the son into custody in handcuffs and clad in an evidence-preserving suit, as investigators examine possible tensions within the family.
Der Spiegel reported that Stalzer’s daughter was previously involved in a domestic violence incident this summer.
In that case, she allegedly attacked her mother with a knife, raising questions about prior family conflict.
In a joint statement, police and prosecutors said, “Close family involvement cannot be ruled out at the present time.”
The statement noted that all investigative avenues remain open.
A homicide squad from Hagen has assumed control of the investigation.
Rift News outlined that forensic teams are conducting a detailed search of the sealed-off crime scene in Herdecke, a town of roughly 23,000 residents in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Authorities have launched a manhunt to identify any potential accomplices, though the reason behind the stabbing remains unknown.
The Daily Mail reported that police spokesman Tino Schäfer said, “The motive for the crime is completely unclear; we are investigating all avenues.”
Stalzer, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), won the mayoral election on September 28 with 52.2 percent of the vote, defeating Christian Democrat Fabian Haas.
She was scheduled to take office on Nov. 1.
Her Instagram account, which she used to celebrate her election victory, now features messages from supporters wishing for her recovery.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz released a statement condemning the attack: “We have received news of a terrible deed in Herdecke. It must be swiftly investigated. We fear for the life of the mayor-designate and hope for her full recovery.”
SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch added, “We hope that she survives this terrible act. We can’t say anything at the moment about the background.”
The stabbing evokes memories of the 2019 murder of Walter Lübcke, a conservative government official who was shot by a far-right extremist because of his support for Angela Merkel’s refugee policies.
Rift News further noted that a study of political violence in Germany revealed that 60 percent of politicians have experienced threats or physical attacks, while 20 percent have reported becoming wary of public appearances due to safety concerns.
Herdecke city officials expressed shock at the incident. First Deputy Mayor Dennis Osberg stated, “The media reports about the police operation at Iris Stalzer’s home have caused shock and dismay among the city administration. I sincerely wish Ms. Stalzer a speedy recovery.”
