Daniela Klette, once Germany's most-wanted woman and a former member of the notorious Baader-Meinhof gang, has been sentenced to prison for a string of armed robberies. The 67-year-old was apprehended in Berlin earlier this year after successfully evading authorities for more than three decades, bringing an end to one of Europe's longest-running manhunts.
Klette was part of the 'third generation' Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, which terrorised West Germany in the 1970s and 80s. This faction was responsible for numerous assassinations, kidnappings, and bombings during its active period, targeting high-profile figures in politics, industry, and the judiciary. The group's ideology was rooted in anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist sentiments, aiming to spark a communist revolution.
While Klette's involvement with the RAF's earlier, more violent acts was not the subject of this particular trial, the court focused on her participation in a series of armed robberies committed between 1999 and 2016. These later crimes, carried out with two other former RAF members who remain at large, were reportedly intended to fund their lives underground. The robberies included attacks on cash transporters and supermarkets, often involving significant violence.
Her capture in February 2024, following a tip-off, was a significant moment for German law enforcement and a reminder of the country's turbulent past. Klette had been living under an assumed identity in a residential building in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The two other fugitives, Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub, are still being sought by police. Authorities have offered substantial rewards for information leading to their arrests.
The sentencing marks a conclusion to a chapter of German history that has long fascinated and concerned the public. The Baader-Meinhof gang's legacy continues to be debated, with some viewing them as misguided revolutionaries and others as dangerous terrorists. Klette's conviction underscores the German justice system's long memory and its commitment to pursuing those who commit serious crimes, regardless of how much time has passed.