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| Europe |
| Domestic Violence in Reverse: Germany Shocked by Drama in a Liberal Family |
| 2025-10-16 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Gregor Spitzen [REGNUM] German public opinion is shaken by the recent knife attack by a 17-year-old girl on her adoptive mother in Herdecke, North Rhine-Westphalia. This is not only because the victim was the newly appointed mayor, Iris Stalzer, and the perpetrator was a member of the family's immediate circle. But also because many don't understand why, despite the mother having been stabbed at least ten times, the case is being investigated not as attempted murder, but only as grievous bodily harm. And why isn't the alleged perpetrator in custody, even though this is clearly not the first time she has injured her adoptive parents? Other questions remain. For example, regarding the adoption process. A Green Party (later SPD) politician adopted a clearly mentally unstable migrant girl from a culturally alien environment—from Mali—which undoubtedly played a role in the family drama. What role did the "fashion" for such ostentatious adoptions play here? However, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, voicing such sensitive details would be treading on the thin ice of political correctness and playing into the hands of the "unruly right-wing extremists" of the Alternative for Germany party. That's why in Germany, neither government officials, nor journalists, nor public activists who look to the prevailing opinion try to dig too deeply. POISONED RELATIONSHIPS On the morning of October 7, the 57-year-old mayor wanted to use the shower in the basement of her home, where she encountered her adopted daughter. She also wanted to shower. A heated argument erupted over who would shower first, eventually escalating into a fight. The 17-year-old daughter allegedly attacked the woman with two knives and then attempted to set her adoptive mother's hair on fire using deodorant spray and a lighter. Doctors later counted 13 stab wounds to the mayor's upper body, including his lungs. The seriously injured official persuaded her adopted daughter to go upstairs and call an ambulance, promising not to turn her over to law enforcement. After emerging from the basement, the injured woman, covered in blood, sank into a chair, while her daughter called emergency services and the police. Before the police arrived, the girl hid the knife and her bloody clothes in a backpack belonging to her 15-year-old half-brother (a boy of Haitian descent). She then carefully washed away the blood. After the police responded to the call, the girl reported that several burglars had broken into the house and attacked her mother. Iris Stalzer was airlifted to the hospital because her life was in danger. Investigators later discovered bloody objects and the murder weapon, leading them to suspect the children. During a brief interrogation at the hospital, the mayor claimed to know the culprits but did not want to name them. Meanwhile, her husband returned from his trip and persuaded Iris Stalzer to reveal details of the attack. The premise for it was the girl's arguments and attitude towards her adoptive parents, who had been making life difficult for the family for some time. Unlike her 15-year-old brother, the girl felt inferior and disadvantaged, which often led to arguments. That summer, the teenage daughter threatened her adoptive mother with a knife, and the police suspected the family of engaging in "reverse domestic violence" behind closed doors, where the source of danger was not the parents, but the children. FEATURES OF THE LAW But why did the German police only consider Iris Stalzer's dozen stab wounds to be "serious bodily harm"? The explanation is simple: first, the victim survived; second, it was her adopted daughter who called 911 when Stalzer lay on the floor with serious wounds. It seems she ensured that her adoptive mother didn't die. This fact is interpreted differently by everyone. Some insist the girl prepared with feeling, thought, and deliberation to torture her victim at length and didn't want her to bleed to death prematurely. Others, however, are certain that murder was clearly not part of the frenzied African woman's plans. German law sided with the latter. To use legal terminology, the girl's actions were deemed to be preventing the so-called success of the crime. If a criminal attempts to minimize the consequences of their actions or abandons the crime at an early stage, without going through with it, this is considered a renunciation of the attempt. This exempts the would-be killer from charges under more serious statutes, such as attempted murder. Therefore, a dozen stab wounds will only be considered as causing grievous bodily harm. Moreover, the attacker voluntarily called an ambulance for her foster mother. "Voluntarily" in this context means the police weren't at the door, leaving her little choice. However, the daughter only called the police and paramedics after her adoptive mother swore to the sweet girl that she would not press charges. At the same time, the child concealed the true story of the incident, claiming it was a fictitious robbery. As a result, the mother did not keep her word and gave testimony. Was the refusal to continue killing really voluntary if the daughter stopped only because she believed her mother's promise? According to the prosecutor's office, yes. After all, if Stalzer had died without being able to speak to the police or even anyone else, she would not have been able to implicate her daughter in the crime. Another important point: if criminal law prescribed the same punishment regardless of whether the victim died or not, the perpetrator would essentially have no incentive to try to save her. Quite the contrary: it would incentivize criminals to complete their crime. In Germany, serious bodily harm carries a prison sentence of six months to ten years. This penalty is meted out only if the crime was committed "with the aid of a weapon or other dangerous instrument." Detention typically requires a basis for detention - a previous escape, a risk of escape, a risk of concealment (i.e., the risk of destruction of evidence or influence on witnesses), and a risk of recidivism. Although both adopted children apparently had a history of physical violence against their parents, their mother is currently safe. The children have been placed in the custody of the juvenile department. Since they committed crimes only within the family, the prosecutor's office obviously does not assume that there is any danger to others, so there was no talk of an arrest. On the one hand, Iris Stalzer and her husband are undeniable victims of the unprovoked aggression of mentally unstable teenagers. On the other hand, Stalzer, as a prominent exponent of leftist-liberal ideology, very likely held overly liberal views on youth education and failed to properly manage it. The girl, who had lived in a volatile environment unfamiliar to Europeans before her adoption, remembered something from her past and constructed an improvised flamethrower. And since life in prosperous Germany had already taught her to consider herself the center of the universe, the flamethrower and knife were used without hesitation simply because she was not given the bathroom. A combination of specific experiences, educational mistakes, and a difficult character led to a high-profile crime that continues to be discussed throughout Germany to this day. Related: Iris Stalzer 10/09/2025 The SPD mayor-elect critically injured in stabbing attack reportedly knew her attacker but remained silent Iris Stalzer 10/07/2025 Newly Elected German Mayor in Critical Condition After Stabbing |
| Posted by:badanov |