Iris Stalzer out of life-threatening danger following multiple stab wounds in domestic incident, prosecutors confirm no arrest warrant being sought
The mayor-elect of a western German town is recovering in hospital after telling investigators it was her adoptive daughter who stabbed her repeatedly at her home earlier this week.
Iris Stalzer, 57, the newly elected mayor of Herdecke in the Ruhr valley, is no longer in life-threatening danger and has been able to answer questions from her hospital bed, police and prosecutors said at a press conference in nearby Hagen on Wednesday.
The Social Democratic Party politician was airlifted to hospital around lunchtime on Tuesday after being found in her home with multiple stab wounds. She had been discovered seated in a chair in the living room following an emergency call.
Investigation Reveals Domestic Nature of Attack
Police said Ms Stalzer had been able to answer questions late on Tuesday from her hospital bed, where she named her 17-year-old adoptive daughter as her attacker.
Investigators explained little about the possible motive or reason for the family argument, noting that it involved two minors and that the case had only garnered significant attention because of Ms Stalzer’s position in local politics and the possibility of a political motive to the attack.
During their investigation on Tuesday, police found signs of a struggle in the cellar along with Ms Stalzer’s discarded clothes she was wearing at the time. Two knives thought to be the weapons used to attack her were also recovered during the search of the premises.
No Arrest Warrant Being Sought
Senior public prosecutor Bernd Halldorn told reporters on Wednesday that according to the prosecution’s current information, the case is likely to be treated as the German equivalent of aggravated assault or grievous bodily harm rather than attempted murder.
Mr Halldorn stated that the conditions for the pretrial detention of the 17-year-old daughter had not been met. These include whether a person is considered to be a flight risk and the possibility of repeating the offence.
He added the fact that the daughter made the emergency call along with her 15-year-old brother spoke against pursuing charges of attempted murder. The prosecutor expected police to release her as they had the 15-year-old adoptive son.
The children are to be transferred to youth services for the time being, Mr Halldorn said. A homicide commission had been set up in Hagen on Tuesday to investigate the case.
Recent Electoral Victory
Ms Stalzer had only recently been elected mayor of Herdecke, a town of approximately 23,000 people in western Germany’s Ruhr region, between the cities of Hagen and Dortmund.
In the runoff election on 28th September, she won with 52.2% of the vote against centre-right Christian Democrat candidate Fabian Conrad Haas. The CDU had previously held the mayoral office in Herdecke for a long time.
Prior to the attack, her inauguration ceremony had been planned for 4th November, according to city authorities. She is due to take office officially on 1st November.
Initial Reports and Political Response
Police said emergency services were alerted shortly after noon on Tuesday by Ms Stalzer’s daughter, who reported that her mother had been seriously wounded outside her house in an attempted robbery.
However, when police arrived at Ms Stalzer’s house, they found her sitting in a chair with multiple stab wounds and determined that the attack appeared to have happened indoors rather than outside as initially reported.
The attack drew swift condemnation from Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who wrote on social media that the government feared for the life of the designated mayor and hoped for her full recovery. He described the incident as a heinous act that needed to be swiftly clarified.
The leader of the Social Democrats’ parliamentary group in Berlin, Matthias Miersch, told reporters they had heard that the newly elected mayor had been stabbed. He stated they hoped she would survive the terrible act, adding they could not say anything about the background at that time.
Previous Incidents Reported
German media outlets, including Der Spiegel news magazine, reported that an incident had been reported to police in summer this year involving Ms Stalzer’s 17-year-old daughter attacking her with a knife.
Regional public broadcaster WDR stated that police had been called to Ms Stalzer’s house on several occasions in the past due to reports of domestic violence. However, prosecutors declined to confirm or comment on these previous incidents during their press conference.
A neighbour reportedly heard a shouting argument between the son and the mother shortly before she was attacked, according to some reports.
Background and Career
Ms Stalzer’s website states she is 57 and married with two teenage children. It says she has spent almost her whole life in Herdecke and has worked as a lawyer specialising in labour law.
The town administration voiced its shock and dismay at the attack on Tuesday. The attack came after a regionwide campaign that politicians in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s largest state, described as unusually hostile.
A recent study found 60% of politicians in Germany had experienced violence at least once, with one in five saying it had made them more reluctant to appear in public.
Context of Political Violence in Germany
The attack on Ms Stalzer initially raised fears of politically motivated violence against local politicians, following several high-profile incidents in recent years.
In 2019, a conservative district government president in the state of Hesse, Walter Luebcke, a supporter of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policy, was shot dead by a far-right activist on the terrace of his home.
There has been a string of attacks on German politicians in recent years, though investigators quickly determined on Tuesday that there was no sign of a political motive in Ms Stalzer’s case.
Based on current information, there are no indications that the attack was politically motivated, with a family background assumed, police stated in their initial announcement.
Ongoing Investigation
The case remains under investigation by authorities in Hagen, though the immediate threat to Ms Stalzer’s life has passed. She continues to receive treatment in hospital whilst recovering from her injuries.
The children involved in the case have been placed with youth services whilst authorities determine the appropriate course of action. Prosecutors emphasised that because the case involves minors, certain details and procedures are being handled differently than they would be for adult suspects.
The attack shocked the local community in Herdecke, where Ms Stalzer had been actively involved in politics and was preparing to assume her new role as mayor. The incident has raised questions about support systems for families and the challenges faced by public officials balancing their political careers with family life.
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