Christina Block and her ex-husband - Custody dispute escalates to alleged child abduction - a reconstruction
The new year is just 17 minutes old when the police in southern Jutland in Denmark are alerted to a child abduction. According to the report, a 49-year-old man was attacked by several people in a café in Gråsten, brought to the ground and "subjected to violence", as the police put it. Meanwhile, a boy, aged 10, and a girl, aged 13, are forced into a car before the kidnappers and abductees finally speed off in two cars with German license plates.
The police initiate a manhunt and contact the police in Germany - in vain: the kidnappers escape. It is only about 20 minutes by car from the crime scene north of Flensburg to the German border. Their trail is lost.
The two getaway vehicles were found in Germany by the German police, the Danish police announced on Tuesday afternoon. Apparently the kidnappers and the children changed cars.
On Tuesday evening, it was confirmed what had already made the rounds shortly after the crime: the man who had been attacked was Stephan H., the ex-husband of Christina Block. She in turn is a daughter of Eugen Block, founder of the Block House steakhouse chain. The kidnapping is presumably the culmination of a bitter custody dispute over the two children.
Four children of Christina Block and Stefan H.
Block and H. were married and have four children together. After the divorce in 2018, H. moved to Denmark. Of the older two daughters, one lives with the father in Denmark and one with the mother in Hamburg. The custody dispute revolves around the younger two children. One weekend in August 2021, they visit their father in Denmark - and do not return to Germany.
H. accuses Block of being violent towards the children, which is why the children did not want to return to her in Germany. Block, on the other hand, accuses H. of manipulating the children - and rejects the allegations of violence. In October 2021, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court ruled that the mother had the right to determine the children's place of residence. The father must "hand over" the children.
Denmark defies ruling in custody dispute
But Block cannot enforce this ruling. Denmark is the only EU country that has not signed an agreement on the recognition of foreign decisions in matrimonial matters. Instead, the country reserves the right to examine the facts in its own proceedings - and in this case comes to the conclusion that the children are living with their father voluntarily. The judgment of the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg has no effect.
Probably in her helplessness, Block chooses to go public: she gives interviews to draw attention to her children's case. The new man at her side - sports presenter Gerhard Delling - also speaks publicly about the case: "How can it be that there is a ruling and no one cares that it is implemented?" he told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper in February 2023.
The obvious assumption is that Block has now apparently hired people to do what the Danish authorities are not doing: bring the children back to Hamburg.
The children are with her, Christina Block announced via a company spokeswoman on Tuesday evening. "The children are well. I ask for your understanding that I am not making any further statements at this time, primarily out of concern for the welfare of my children," the statement read.
Nevertheless, the last word in this dispute has probably not yet been spoken.
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The child abduction incident takes place in southern Jutland, Denmark, near Gråsten. The attacker, identified as Stephan H., is the ex-husband of Christina Block, a daughter of Eugen Block, the founder of the Block House steakhouse chain. They have four children together, with two living with each parent after their 2018 divorce.
Denmark refuses to comply with a Hamburg Higher Regional Court ruling granting Christina Block the right to determine the children's residence due to the country's lack of agreement on recognizing foreign decisions in matrimonial matters. The father, Stephan H., is currently in Denmark with the two younger children, who he claims are voluntarily with him due to allegations of violence by their mother.
Block's public appearances and interviews raise concerns about the situation, with her new partner, sports presenter Gerhard Delling, also speaking out. There are speculations that Block may have hired people in Denmark to help bring the children back to Hamburg, the city of their mother's residence.
This high-profile custody dispute has attracted media attention, with notable articles published in The Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper. Despite the ongoing legal and personal challenges, both parents continue to advocate for their children's best interests.
Meanwhile, the Police in Flensburg, situated near the crime scene, search for leads in this child abduction case related to a bitter custody dispute, while their Danish and German counterparts work together to uncover more details.
The children's safety remains the primary concern in this polarizing situation as the case progresses, with the potential for resolution still challenging to foresee.
This incident highlights the complexities and challenges in cross-border custody disputes, with each country's legal system and rules playing a significant role in these sensitive cases. With the children's welfare at stake, resolutions often require collaboration between authorities, families, and local communities.
Source: www.stern.de
