The German mayor who was seriously injured in a knife attack in her hometown of Herdecke on Tuesday has accused her 17-year-old adopted daughter of being the perpetrator. According to German newspaper Bild, citing police sources, Iris Stalzer was allegedly “tortured for hours” by the girl in the basement of her home.

Herdecke is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, near Dortmund, around 130 kilometers from the Belgian border.

It was Iris Stalzer's adopted daughter who called emergency services on Tuesday afternoon, saying her mother had been seriously injured after being attacked by a group of men.

Thirteen stab wounds

Upon arrival, emergency services found the SPD (Social Democratic Party) politician bleeding, sitting in a living room armchair. The teenager said she had discovered her mother in this condition when she returned home. Doctors found thirteen stab wounds to her upper body, as well as several skull fractures and bruises.

According to the Bild newspaper, the mayor gave a very different version of events to that of her adopted daughter during her police interview.

Iris Stalzer claims to have been tortured for several hours in the basement of her home by the teenager, who allegedly attacked her with deodorant and a lighter, attempting to burn her hair and clothes. The young girl allegedly spoke of a desire for revenge, without specifying the reasons for this action.

The politician was allegedly stabbed with two separate knives. It remains unclear how she managed to get from the basement to the living room, where she was eventually found. Investigators discovered one of the two weapons in the backpack of Iris Stalzer's 15-year-old adopted son. The bag also contained bloody clothes believed to belong to his adoptive sister.

The two teenagers were arrested by the police. Images released by the media show the boy covered in a special blanket, designed to preserve any possible traces of evidence.

Forensic experts also discovered that several large blood stains had been cleaned up before the adopted daughter contacted emergency services.

According to the Bild newspaper, tensions had already existed for several months between Iris Stalzer and her two adopted children. During the summer, there were already reports of domestic violence, including the use of a knife.

Aggravated violence

According to the prosecution, the events that occurred on Tuesday are classified as aggravated violence, and not attempted homicide, because the adopted daughter herself called for help.

No arrest warrant has been issued at this stage. The two teenagers have been placed under the supervision of a juvenile court judge.