Former RAF member Daniela Klette’s trial has begun following her arrest after decades in hiding. Now 66, she faces charges including attempted murder and involvement in armed robberies linked to over 600 pages of evidence. For years, Klette lived a concealed life in Berlin while committing high-profile heists with accomplices, amassing an estimated 2.7 million euros. As the trial progresses, she may reveal connections to past RAF attacks, complicating her defense further.
Trial of Former RAF Terrorist Daniela Klette Begins
After spending decades in hiding, former RAF member Daniela Klette has been apprehended, marking the commencement of her trial today. Klette faces serious allegations, including attempted murder and participation in armed robberies.
A Double Life Unveiled
Klette, now 66 years old, has been under investigation by the public prosecutor’s office in Verden for several years. Her case file is extensive, comprising over 600 pages of indictment, with accusations linking her to at least 13 robberies. Some of these incidents involved gunfire, elevating the charges to attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms.
For 35 years, Klette led a secretive lifestyle, disappearing from public view by 1990. While living in a seemingly ordinary apartment in Berlin-Kreuzberg, where she tutored students, she hoarded weapons and cash. Neighbors remember ‘Claudia’ as a kind, elderly tutor with a long braid and a pet dog, completely unaware of her criminal past.
Recent investigations by NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung have revealed intriguing details about Klette’s life on the run. Photographs depict her in small social gatherings, holding a baby, and spending time with her alleged accomplice Burkhard Garweg, who remains elusive.
The robberies Klette is accused of were allegedly committed to sustain her underground existence. Klette, along with Garweg and another accomplice, Ernst-Volker Staub, is said to have orchestrated a series of high-profile robberies in various regions, including Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein between 1999 and 2016. The total amount stolen is estimated to be around 2.7 million euros.
During these heists, the trio reportedly resorted to violence, using stun guns and firearms to intimidate their victims. A particularly violent incident took place during a robbery of a cash transport in Stuhr near Bremen in June 2015, where a masked assailant fired shots at the vehicle, resulting in charges of attempted murder.
Investigators spent months piecing together the connections between the robberies until crucial DNA evidence emerged. Klette allegedly lived in Berlin until her recent arrest, while the whereabouts of Garweg and Staub remain unknown. In 2015, a focused manhunt was launched for the trio by the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police.
Upon searching Klette’s apartment, authorities uncovered a replica hand grenade, firearms, handcuffs, ski masks, a significant amount of cash, and even gold. Additionally, DNA traces linked Klette to vehicles used in the robberies, although her defense argues that the evidence may not definitively place her at the crime scenes.
As the trial unfolds, Klette is expected to provide her defense, though she may refrain from discussing specific allegations. The court has scheduled proceedings until December, but it is likely that the trial will extend beyond these initial dates.
In the coming weeks, more revelations about Klette’s potential involvement in past RAF attacks, including incidents targeting Deutsche Bank, the US Embassy in Bonn, and a Hessian prison may emerge, further complicating the case.
This significant legal event was reported by ARD Morgenmagazin on March 25, 2025, at 05:44 AM.