Newly Elected German Mayor Gets Stabbed

(MENAFN) Iris Stalzer, who was recently voted in as the mayor of a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is currently in a life-threatening state after sustaining multiple stab wounds, according to official reports released on Tuesday.

Law enforcement authorities confirmed that, as of now, no individuals have been apprehended in connection with the assault.

At 57 years old, Stalzer — a member of the Social Democratic Party and a professional labor attorney — secured the position of mayor in Herdecke after narrowly winning a runoff election last month with 52.2% of the vote.

Authorities discovered her in her residence suffering from severe injuries that posed a significant threat to her life.

The incident occurs amid a noticeable increase in knife-related assaults across the broader region.

As reported by a media outlet, Stalzer was discovered by her 15-year-old adopted son, who informed police that she had been assaulted by a group of men near her residence and had managed to crawl back into her apartment following the attack.

Her 17-year-old adopted daughter was also reportedly present inside the home at the time of the incident.

The media outlet further revealed that the teenage boy was removed from the scene in handcuffs while wearing a protective forensic suit.

Investigators explained that this was a precaution to avoid any potential contamination or destruction of critical evidence.

“We fear for the life of the mayor-designate and hope for her full recovery,” stated German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a post on social media.

He strongly denounced the incident as “a terrible deed” and emphasized the necessity for it to be “swiftly investigated.”

So far, authorities have not disclosed any suspects or possible motives related to the attack.

Police have only confirmed that a large-scale operation is currently ongoing in Herdecke, with more information expected to be released soon.

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