Herdecke mayor-elect stabbed near home, in critical condition

Iris Stalzer, the newly elected mayor of Herdecke in North Rhine-Westphalia, was found with serious stab wounds on Tuesday after a suspected knife attack near her home, and remains in critical condition as police launch a major investigation. The 57-year-old, who won the mayoral runoff on September 28, was discovered in her apartment after emergency services were called to the town in the Ruhr region, officials said.

Local authorities said a large police operation was under way in Herdecke following the incident. According to reports, Stalzer was attacked on the street near her home shortly before she was found in the apartment; she told family members she had been assaulted by several men. She was rushed to hospital and is being treated for life-threatening injuries. Police have appealed for information and said they are investigating the circumstances and any potential suspects.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that the attack was an abhorrent act and added, "We fear for the life of mayor-elect Iris Stalzer and hope for her complete recovery." Matthias Miersch, the Social Democrats parliamentary group leader, said party members were deeply saddened and that details about...