HERDECKE: The newly elected mayor of Herdecke, Germany, was seriously injured in a knife attack. 57-year-old Iris Stalzer was targeted on Tuesday,
According to German broadcaster WDR. She was reportedly assaulted outside her home with multiple stab wounds, after which she managed to drag herself inside her residence.
Prosecutors and police issued a joint statement confirming that investigations are ongoing and that the possibility of close relatives’ involvement in the attack has not been ruled out.
According to the news agency DPA, Iris Stalzer’s 15- and 17-year-old children have been taken into custody for questioning. Authorities stated that she was airlifted to a hospital, where she remains in intensive care.
Citing investigators, Bild newspaper reported that one of her sons told police that multiple individuals had attacked her. This incident occurred following recent local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, an event characterized by heightened tensions and political hostility, as described by politicians. Iris Stalzer, a member of the Social Democratic Party, was set to assume office in November after her electoral victory.
