NEED TO KNOW
- Iris Stalzer — the newly elected mayor of Herdecke, Germany — told police she was stabbed by her teenaged daughter on Oct. 7
- Newly released details imply that Stalzer’s 17-year-old daughter kept her in the basement for an “extended period” of time, during which she was tormented and stabbed 13 times, authorities say
- Stalzer also reportedly suffered several hematomas and fractures to her skull
New details have emerged after it was reported that the newly elected mayor of a western German town had allegedly been stabbed by her teenage daughter.
Iris Stalzer, 57, was found stabbed in her home shortly after noon local time on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Her 17-year-old daughter had called an emergency number and told a dispatcher that her mother was stabbed outside in an alleged armed robbery, according to the Associated Press, Reuters and The New York Times.
However, Stalzer — who had recently been elected as the new mayor of Herdecke, located in western Germany roughly 10 miles south of Dortmund, late last month — has since told police during an interview at the hospital that her daughter was the person who stabbed her, per AP. Police had discovered the injured victim sitting in a chair after officers responded to the family’s home.
Doctors allegedly found 13 stab wounds to Stalzer’s upper body, German outlet Bild reported, citing new police findings. There were also several hematomas and fractures on the victim’s skull, the paper stated.
Stalzer reportedly told police that she was tormented for hours by her daughter in the basement of her home, per Bild. The outlet noted that the victim had been stabbed with two knives, adding that attempts had been made to remove blood-stained evidence from the scene, according to authorities.
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Per German paper Die Zeit, the daughter was then handed over to the youth welfare office.
The fact that she called emergency services herself means the act may be classified as grievous bodily harm and not as attempted homicide, according to local outlets including Die Zeit and Bild.
German outlet Focus also noted that the conflict in the basement between the mother and daughter allegedly “lasted for an extended period” of time. A heated argument was thought to have broken out between the pair, which then escalated, the outlet reported, citing security sources.
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The suspect is believed to have tried to set fire to her mother’s hair with deodorant spray, per the publication. A knife and bloody clothes were then allegedly found in a backpack belonging to Stalzer’s 15-year-old son, Focus reported, while Bild noted that the clothing is believed to have belonged to the politician’s daughter.
Stalzer, a member of the Social Democratic Party, had been set to take office on Nov. 1, according to AP. She was reported to be in critical condition on Tuesday night, but local authorities have since said she is out of danger, according to the news agency.
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After news of the attack made headlines, politicians across Germany swiftly condemned the incident.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that he hopes “for her complete recovery,” according to a translation of a post made Wednesday. “My thoughts are with her family and her relatives,” the chancellor wrote.
PEOPLE has contacted the local public prosecutor’s office and local police regarding the updates in the case, but didn’t immediately hear back.
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