Newly elected German mayor in critical condition after stabbing at her home

A newly elected mayor in Germany was found critically injured after a stabbing attack at her home, according to officials and local media.

Authorities in the city of Hagen said officers were called to the home of 57-year-old Iris Stalzer, the newly elected mayor of Herdecke, around 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday. She was found with multiple stab wounds and airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment. Her condition remains critical.

Police said a homicide unit has been formed to investigate and that “a family connection cannot currently be ruled out.”

In an updated statement, investigators said there is no indication the attack was politically motivated and confirmed that Stalzer’s minor children were in police custody as part of the ongoing inquiry.

According to BILD, Stalzer’s two adopted children, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, were home at the time of the attack and called emergency services. The boy was seen handcuffed in a police vehicle at the scene of the incident.

The incident took place inside Stalzer’s home in Herdecke, a small city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Police said extensive evidence is being collected at the scene.

Stalzer, a member of Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), was elected mayor of Herdecke on September 28.