The newly elected mayor of Hemer has been stabbed in her home — and police rule out a political motive.
The small German town of Hördecke, near Dortmund, was shaken by a violent attack targeting its newly elected mayor, Iris Stahler. The 57-year-old politician was found injured with multiple stab wounds inside her home on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and Stahler was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.
Authorities quickly dismissed any political motive behind the attack. According to the North Rhine-Westphalia police, initial evidence suggests a "familial connection" to the crime. The police confirmed that the crime scene was inside the Schtalzer home, and several pieces of evidence supporting this possibility have been collected.
The police reported that Stalzer was found with life-threatening injuries around 12:40 PM local time. The homicide unit from the nearby city of Hagen is investigating the incident. Two teenagers aged 15 and 17 — reportedly her adopted sons — are being questioned by investigators. The German newspaper Bild reported that one of the boys claimed that their mother was attacked by several men in the street, but this account has not yet been confirmed.
Media reports indicate the possibility of a previous domestic violence incident at the Stalzer home earlier this year, according to Der Spiegel magazine. Eyewitnesses told WDR that police removed a teenager from the house in handcuffs. Authorities have not yet commented on the identity of any suspects or whether formal charges will be filed.
Schatlzer is a labor lawyer and has been an activist for many years in local politics. She recently won the municipal elections on September 28, defeating the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate Fabian Konrad Haas with 52.2% of the votes. The CDU had held the mayor's office in Herdick for many years before her victory. Political leaders across Germany, including Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the leader of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Matthias Miersch, expressed their shock and concern, wishing Schatlzer a speedy recovery as investigations continue.