ALBAWABA- In a shocking act of violence that has rocked the quiet Ruhr Valley town of Herdecke, newly elected mayor Iris Stalzer was stabbed multiple times outside her home on Tuesday, leaving her in critical condition and triggering a large-scale police investigation.
The 57-year-old Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician, who won the mayoral runoff just nine days earlier with 52.2% of the vote, was discovered bleeding heavily inside her apartment by her 15-year-old adopted son after she managed to crawl indoors following the attack.
Emergency crews airlifted her to a nearby hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery for 13 stab wounds to her stomach and back. She remains in intensive care, fighting for her life.
Before losing consciousness, Stalzer told authorities she was attacked by “several men” who ambushed her in front of her Herrentisch neighborhood residence, a normally tranquil area in the 23,000-resident town between Dortmund and Hagen.
Police have detained her 15-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter for forensic examination, stressing that the move was procedural, not accusatory.
Investigators are exploring a possible family-related motive, while early findings rule out political intent.
The attack has sent shockwaves across Germany, recalling previous assaults on public officials, including the 2019 assassination of regional president Walter Lübcke and the 2015 stabbing of Cologne mayoral candidate Henriette Reker.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the “heinous act,” expressing hope for Stalzer’s recovery and vowing a thorough investigation.
SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch called the incident “a terrible tragedy,” praising Stalzer as a “dedicated public servant and mother.”
Herdecke’s city administration has suspended non-essential operations as residents rally in support of their mayor, who was scheduled to take office on November 1 after unseating a longtime Christian Democratic Union (CDU) incumbent.
