Beate Zschaepe, a member of neo-Nazi group
Beate Zschaepe, a member of neo-Nazi groupReuters

The trial of five Germans who allegedly were involved in a neo-Nazi terror campaign begins Monday in Munich.

The main defendant is 38-year-old Beate Zschaepe, who is accused of complicity in the murder of eight Turks, a Greek and a policewoman between 2000 and 2007.

Zschaepe is also accused of involvement in at least two bombings and 15 bank robberies carried out by her accomplices Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Boenhardt-- both of whom died in an apparent murder-suicide in November 2011.

Four additional defendants are accused of assisting the self-styled National Socialist Underground in various ways.

The trial has raised questions about German authorities' inability to prevent the crimes and the apparent readiness with which police initially dismissed a far-right motive.

Germany’s patchwork of intelligence agencies are set to undergo reforms, after a recent investigation found they failed to share information to prevent the increasing neo-Nazi threat. 

The head of domestic intelligence resigned last July.