Also known as: Judge Claasen · High Court Judge Claudia Claasen
Windhoek High Court judge presiding over major criminal cases including murder, sexual assault, and drug trafficking cases.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen delivered a judgement finding Murao guilty on six charges
“Jonas Murao (47) was found guilty on six charges, including three counts of housebreaking with intent to rape and rape, in a judgement delivered in the Windhoek High Court on Friday.”
Hardap man convicted on baby-rape chargeThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen sentenced Bock to 18 years' imprisonment, three years suspended
“The trial of Johannes Bock (21) was concluded yesterday with judge Claudia Claasen sentencing him to 18 years' imprisonment, of which three years are suspended for a period of five years on condition that Bock is not convicted of murder or culpable homicide involving an assault, committed during the period of suspension.”
Young strangler sentenced to 15 years in prisonInformanté
High Court Judge Claudia Claasen handed down the sentence of 18 years' imprisonment
“High Court Judge Claudia Claasen, who handed down the sentence, said that three years of the 18-year sentence are suspended for a period of five years, provided that the accused does not commit a similar offence during that period.”
Young man sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for murder of teenage loverThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen concluded that magistrate made no wrong decision in refusing bail
“With Armand Schultz's appeal against being refused bail in the Okahandja Magistrate's Court in March this year, it was not shown that the magistrate who turned down his application to be granted bail made a wrong decision, judge Claudia Claasen concluded in the High Court's appeal judgement.”
N$52m cannabis farm accused loses bail appealThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen ruled it is premature for court to decide legal challenge about cannabis prohibition
“With Namibia's government considering new legislation about the possession and use of cannabis, it is premature for the court to decide a legal challenge about the prohibition of dagga in the country, judge Claudia Claasen said in a ruling delivered in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.”
Attempt to legalise cannabis fails in High CourtThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen found guilty of murder
“Claasen found Bock guilty of murder based on his plea.”
Hardap man admits strangling teenage girlfriendInformanté
High Court judge Claudia Claasen dismissed bail appeal application of Joel Angula
“The former Namib Diamonds (Pty) Ltd (Namdia) protection officer's application was dismissed and removed from the court roll by High Court judges of appeal Claudia Claasen and Eileen Rakow due to an incomplete bail record, which lacked the testimony of the investigating officer in the matter.”
Angula’s bid for bail denied as High Court rejects appealThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen received plea statement from Immanuel Venonja
“In a plea statement given to judge Claudia Claasen, Immanuel Venonja (25) denied that he stabbed his former girlfriend, Elisabeth Uwu-Khaes, in a bar at Otavi on 31 May 2024 and that he caused her death.”
Otavi man denies ex-girlfriend’s murder in High CourtThe Namibian
Judge Claudia Claasen found guilty Karomo on three charges four weeks ago
“Claasen, who found Karomo guilty on the three charges four weeks ago, postponed her sentencing to next Friday (29 May).”
Windhoek house fire murderer faces life imprisonmentInformanté
Judge Claudia Claasen is set to hear the matter on 12 June 2026
“The matter is set down for hearing on 12 June 2026 before Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen.”
Angula launches appeal against bail denialJonas Murao (47) has been convicted on six charges, including rape and housebreaking with intent to rape, related to incidents alleged to have occurred at Hoachanas in the Mariental district between November 2008 and November 2016. The Windhoek High Court found him guilty of raping a four-month-old baby and committing indecent assault against a sleeping woman on 12 November 2016.
3 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Jonas Murao (47) has been convicted on six charges, including rape and housebreaking with intent to rape, related to incidents alleged to have occurred at Hoachanas in the Mariental district between November 2008 and November 2016. The Windhoek High Court found him guilty of raping a four-month-old baby and committing indecent assault against a sleeping woman on 12 November 2016.
3 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Johannes Bock, 21, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment (15 years effective) for strangling his then-girlfriend Sara Jonker, 17, in June 2024 in Gochas, Hardap region. Judge Claudia Claasen acknowledged Bock's young age and lack of emotional maturity as a mitigating factor but rejected the argument that youth should shield him from accountability.
30 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Johannes Bock, 21, from Hardap Region has been sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for murdering his 18-year-old girlfriend Sara Jonker by strangulation during an argument in June 2023. Three years of the sentence are suspended for five years, conditional on no similar offence.
29 July 2026 · Informanté →
A South African citizen's bail appeal was refused in the Windhoek High Court after a cannabis plantation valued at N$52 million was discovered at a farm in the Okahandja district. Judge Claudia Claasen found that the magistrate's earlier decision to deny bail was not wrong.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
A Windhoek High Court judge has dismissed a legal challenge seeking to legalise cannabis possession and use in Namibia, ruling that policymaking on the issue is primarily a function for the executive and legislative branches, not the courts. The judge found the dispute involves complex matters of public health, criminal law, and social policy that are inappropriate for judicial determination.
12 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Johannes Bock, 21, admitted in Windhoek High Court that he strangled his then-girlfriend Sara Jonker, 17, to death during an argument at his father's house in Gochas on 12–13 June 2023. Bock stated he did not intend to kill her but foresaw the possibility that she might die from suffocation as a result of the strangling.
2 July 2026 · The Namibian →
A High Court bail appeal decision for South African citizen Armand Schultz, arrested in connection with a cannabis plantation discovery at a farm near Okahandja in May last year, has been postponed to 21 July. Schultz and co-accused farm owner David van der Linden face charges related to cannabis valued at about N$52.2 million.
24 June 2026 · The Namibian →
A High Court appeal by Joel Angula, a former Namib Diamonds protection officer, to overturn a bail denial was dismissed due to an incomplete bail record lacking the investigating officer's testimony. Angula faces eight counts including murder in connection with an armed robbery where diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were allegedly stolen from the NAMDIA head office.
15 June 2026 · Informanté →
Immanuel Venonja (25) denied murdering Elisabeth Uwu-Khaes (21) by stabbing her in a bar in Otavi on 31 May 2024, read with provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, in Windhoek High Court. Venonja claimed Uwu-Khaes attacked him first and that he did not stab her, though he admitted they had previously been in a domestic relationship and shared a child.
3 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Mecthilde Karomo (34), convicted of murdering two people who died in a Windhoek house fire in December 2022, is awaiting sentencing. The prosecutor recommended life imprisonment or a minimum of 30 years per count, while the defence proposed 16 years per murder count plus 4 years for arson, with some sentences to run concurrently.
20 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Joel Angula, a former protection officer at state-owned NAMDIA, has appealed his bail denial in the High Court, arguing through his lawyer that the State has not established a chain of custody for diamonds found at his residence and that the magistrate ignored legal provisions for a fine. Angula faces eight counts, including murder, in connection with an armed robbery at NAMDIA where diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were allegedly stolen; 13 parcels valued at about N$4.8 million were found at his home, while over N$290 million of the stolen diamonds remain unrecovered.
20 May 2026 · Informanté →
Theodore Shipanga, arrested in November 2011 for the murder of security colleague Shain van Wyk, appeared in Windhoek High Court as his trial commenced, with Judge Eileen Rakow warning him against disrupting proceedings or facing trial in his absence. Shipanga is accused of shooting van Wyk in the head during a cash-in-transit operation between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja, then absconding with N$2.5 million.
11 May 2026 · Informanté →
Mecthilde Karomo was found guilty on two murder charges and arson after setting fire to her boyfriend's house in Windhoek on 26 December 2022, killing Leonard Haupindi and Annastasia Matende. The judge found that Karomo, triggered by jealousy over Haupindi's new girlfriend, foresaw the possibility of death when she set the fire knowing they were inside or likely to be inside.
21 April 2026 · The Namibian →
High Court Judge Claudia Claasen has found Mecthilde Karomo (33) guilty on two counts of murder with direct intent for killing her late boyfriend Leonard Haupindi (36) and his new lover Annastasia Matende (31) by setting the shack in which they were sleeping on fire on 26 December 2022 in Okahandja Park. Karomo was also found guilty on a charge of arson.
20 April 2026 · Informanté →
Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen acquitted Adam Isaack of murdering Eldin Fransman in 2019, finding the State's case rife with contradictions and unreliable witness testimony, with no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence linking him to the fatal stabbing. The judge noted that another State witness, Beneg Jossop, who owned the knife used in the killing, had provided inconsistent accounts of his location during the incident.
7 April 2026 · New Era →
A neighbour testified in the trial of Mecthilde Karomo (33), accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend and his new lover by setting fire to his shack in Okahandja Park on 26 December 2022, stating he did not observe household items from Karomo's home burning despite her claims that the fire had affected her possessions.
17 March 2026 · Informanté →
Iuze Mukube Mecthilde Karomo denies setting fire to a Windhoek shack in December 2022 that killed her ex-lover Leonard Haupindi Kadubuli and his girlfriend Anastasia Ihemba Matende. Testifying before the High Court, Karomo acknowledged a confrontation with Kadubuli the day before the fire but disputed threatening to burn the house and said she only learned of the deadly fire after hearing shouts from outside.
12 March 2026 · New Era →
Mecthilde Karomo, accused of starting a fire in December 2022 that killed two people in Okahandja Park, Windhoek, testified that she was sleeping in her own house when the blaze occurred and denied setting the fatal fire. She disputed prosecution witnesses' claims that she confessed to the arson after a dispute with her then-boyfriend Leonard Haupindi.
12 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Jonas Murao, 45, accused of nine charges including raping a four-month-old baby in Hoachanas, testified in his defence that he was not present when the alleged crimes occurred and was working at a settlement farm at the time. He denied all involvement and claimed an alibi for each incident dating back to 2008.
5 March 2026 · New Era →
Jonas Murao, accused of raping a four-month-old baby at Hoachanas in November 2016, claims he was at a farm on the date of the alleged assault. The baby's mother testified that she found her daughter without a nappy and with blood on her private parts after being awakened by her partner, and noted shoe prints in their one-room house that resembled sandals Murao was wearing that day.
5 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Theodor Shipanga told the court that his trial is ongoing without proper charges or full disclosure, stating he has not received the docket, charge sheet, post-mortem report, witness statements, or the full police investigation file. The State disputed his claim of non-disclosure, and the case was postponed to 18 March 2026 pending assignment of a trial judge.
19 February 2026 · New Era →