The newly elected mayor of a German town who was found at her home with stab wounds is believed to have been attacked by her teenage daughter, investigators said.
Iris Stalzer, 57, was voted in as the mayor of Herdecke on September 28 and is due to take office on November 1.
Police said emergency services were alerted shortly after midday on Tuesday by her daughter, who reported that Ms Stalzer had been seriously wounded outside her house in an attempted robbery.
Officers went to the house, where they found Ms Stalzer sitting in a chair with at least 13 stab wounds and determined that the attack appeared to have happened indoors.
She was flown to a hospital by helicopter, having suffered serious injuries, including a wound to her lung. Police said on Wednesday that she is now out of danger.
Investigators found two knives and clothing in the house, which are believed to have been used in the attack, and detained Ms Stalzer’s 17-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son.
The evidence was found in her son’s bedroom. Investigators also found that large blood stains appeared to have been removed before emergency services were called, though these were visible upon a deep inspection, according to Bild.
When questioned on Tuesday evening, Ms Stalzer pointed to her daughter as the suspect, police investigator Jens Rautenberg said.
Iris Stalzer (pictured) was elected as the mayor of Herdecke in western Germany on September 28
Forensic police officers seen arriving at the scene after Herdecke’s newly elected Mayor Iris Stalzer was found seriously injured in a stabbing incident on October 7 2025
There was no immediate information on the nature of the family conflict that preceded the stabbing.
Sources told Bild that the mother and daughter had an argument last summer, in which domestic violence and the use of a knife were mentioned.
Stalzer is also said to have had tensions with the son.
Mr Rautenberg declined to comment on a possible motive at a news conference in the nearby city of Hagen, saying that is still a matter for investigation.
Prosecutor Bernd Haldorn said he considers it a case of bodily harm, and that police and prosecutors at present intend to release the children and put them in the hands of the youth welfare office, which would decide on further measures while the investigation continues.
The attack on Ms Stalzer, which followed violence against other local politicians in Germany in recent years, drew swift condemnation from Chancellor Friedrich Merz and others. But investigators quickly determined on Tuesday that there was no sign of a political motive.
Herdecke is a town of about 23,000 people in western Germany’s Ruhr region, between Hagen and Dortmund.
