Iris Stalzer, the recently elected mayor of Herdecke in the western German state of  North Rhine-Westphalia, was discovered critically injured in her apartment, authorities said on Tuesday.

The center-left Social Democrat politician had suffered several stab wounds.

"According to the current state of investigations there are no indications of a politically motivated crime," police wrote in an update later on Tuesday.

"A family connection is suspected. The crime scene is located inside the house of the politician. Numerous pieces of evidence [showing this] have been secured."

Advertisement What do we know about the stabbing in Herdecke?

Police said that Stalzer was found at her own home with life-threatening injuries at 12:40 p.m. local time (1040 GMT/UTC). She was flown to the hospital in a rescue helicopter.

Investigators had secured evidence at the scene while Stalzer received intensive medical treatment. Police had already highlighted a possible family angle.

"A homicide commission has been set up by Hagen Police," police said in an earlier statement, referring to a nearby and much larger city. "Investigations are pursuing every avenue; at this stage, a family connection cannot be ruled out either." 

Stalzer was airlifted to the hospitalImage: Alex Talash/dpa/picture alliance

A 57-year-old adoptive mother of a son and daughter, aged 15 and 17 respectively, Stalzer is a labor lawyer who has worked for many years in the local politics of the town of some 23,000.

Police said on Tuesday evening that the teens, both minors in the German legal system, remained with investigators. 

According to the Bild newspaper, Stalzer was found seriously injured in her apartment by her son.

The boy, 15, is said to have told the police that his mother had been attacked by several men on the street.

A WDR journalist had reported from the scene that a male teenager was led out of the house in handcuffs by the police and taken away.

The motive for the attack remains unknown. However, according to the news magazine Der Spiegel, there was a case of domestic violence in the Stalzer household earlier this year. 

Stalzer had only recently been elected mayor. In the runoff election on September 28, she won with 52.2% of the vote against center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) candidate Fabian Conrad Haas. The CDU had previously held the mayoral office in Herdecke for a long time. 

What has been the political reaction? 

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has expressed deep shock over the knife attack on Stalzer.

"We have received news of a heinous act from Herdecke. It must now be quickly clarified. We fear for the life of the designated mayor, Iris Stalzer, and hope for her full recovery," Merz wrote on the platform X. "My thoughts are with her family and loved ones."

SPD parliamentary group leader in Berlin, Matthias Miersch, said he hoped the Social Democrat would "survive the terrible act." He could not comment on the background, saying the SPD was deeply concerned.

German mayor found with serious stab wounds

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Edited by: Wesley Rahn