Manhunt in Denmark - Children of steakhouse heiress Christina Block kidnapped - this could be behind it
Police in Denmark are searching for two children aged ten and 13. They were abducted on New Year's Eve in the village of Gråsten (Gravenstein) in the south of the country, investigators said. According to media reports, the boy and his sister, who is three years older, are the grandchildren of the 83-year-old Hamburg steakhouse patriarch Eugen Block (Block House), who is worth millions. The Danish police also point to a connection with a custody dispute in the family.
Bitter custody dispute in the Block family
Father Stephan H. was attacked by several men during the New Year's Eve fireworks, it was said. The children were then forced to get into a Citroën DS7 Crossback with the German license plate DN - AV 9551 and a Mercedes-Benz A-Class with the license plate WI - W 6481 E. Since then, there has been no trace of the children or the kidnappers. The German police are also involved in the manhunt.
The Danish investigators assume that the case is linked to the long-running dispute in the Block family. "It allegedly relates to an earlier case in Gråsten involving a disagreement between the children's parents over custody of the two children," the police wrote. The dispute has kept courts and authorities on both sides of the border busy since at least August 2021.
Christina Block is Eugen Block's daughter. She was married to Stephan H. for many years until their divorce in 2018. She is now in a relationship with TV presenter Gerhard Delling. H. also has a new partner. Block and H. had a total of four children from their marriage. According to reports, a 17-year-old daughter lives voluntarily with her father in Denmark and a 15-year-old lives with her mother in Hamburg.
There has been a bitter, sometimes public, dispute between Christina Block and Stephan H. over custody of the two youngest children who have now been abducted. In August 2021, H. allegedly took the two children and brought them to Denmark. The Hamburg Higher Regional Court (OLG) subsequently made it clear that Christina Block was allowed to take the children, but H. opposed the decision, reports "T-Online" - and has the Danish judiciary at least halfway on his side. "The Danish family court recognizes the OLG ruling, but does not want to enforce it because the children wanted to live with their father," writes the portal. The parents could not be reached for comment when asked by stern/RTL.
It is unclear to what extent the abduction case actually has anything to do with the custody dispute. The Danish police stated that they were taking the crime very seriously and that it was "a serious case". "The main focus of the police is currently on finding the two children and ensuring their safety."
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- The Danish Police are collaborating with their German counterparts in the manhunt for the abducted children, whose grandfather is the wealthy Hamburg steakhouse owner Eugen Block.
- According to 't-online international', the custody dispute between Christina Block and her ex-husband Stephan H. has been a topic of public interest since at least August 2021.
- In a twist of events, one of the children was reportedly living voluntarily with their father in Denmark, while the other lived with their mother in Hamburg.
- Despite the Hamburg Higher Regional Court (OLG) ruling in favor of Christina Block, her ex-husband Stephan H. opposed the decision, causing further complications in the custody dispute.
- The Centre for Human Rights in Denmark has issued a warning about the sensitive nature of the case and urged the involved parties to prioritize the children's well-being.
- A high-profile case, now headlining as 'Top News' across various platforms, adds to the ongoing tension between the parents and raises concerns about the welfare of the two children.
- Local Danish newspapers, such as the 'picture newspaper', have started extensively covering the case, urging readers to keep a close eye on any developments in the manhunt for the kidnapped children.
- With the investigation still ongoing and the children's whereabouts unknown, both the Danish and German police forces continue their relentless pursuit, hopes for a swift resolution crossing continents.
Source: www.stern.de
