Custody dispute - Police after home visit: Block children are apparently doing well
The Hamburg police have visited the family in connection with the custody dispute over two children of businesswoman Christina Block (50). "We were able to see for ourselves that the children are with Ms. Block and that they appear to be physically well," said police spokeswoman Sandra Levgrün. The youth welfare office was also involved in the visit on Wednesday evening.
The police and the public prosecutor's office both stated that they were still investigating the incident and taking the necessary measures. "In order to protect ongoing investigations and to safeguard personal rights, no further information can be provided at present", the statement continued.
The father's representative for press law, lawyer Michael Philippi from the Hamburg law firm Unverzagt, had already told the German Press Agency: "In the current situation, our client will not comment for reasons of the children 's safety."
Danish police are investigating
The father of the two children was attacked by unknown persons in southern Denmark on New Year's Eve. According to the Danish police, the perpetrators took the 10-year-old boy and the 13-year-old girl in a car. They are being investigated for assault and deprivation of liberty, according to a statement from the Danish police.
The custody dispute has caused the founder of the Block House restaurant chain, Eugen Block, "a lot of heartache". The 83-year-old told the "Hamburger Abendblatt" newspaper. He confirmed that his grandchildren are now staying with his daughter Christina Block, but that he has not yet seen them again.
Christina Block had already told the newspaper in an interview a year ago that she had not heard from her children for (at the time) 16 months. The children had visited their father in Denmark on a weekend in August 2021 - and had not returned to Germany.
According to Berlin family law expert Peter Junggeburth, Denmark is the only EU country that has not adopted two important European Union regulations. For example, it does not automatically recognize family court decisions on custody in EU partner countries.
The Block Group, which employs around 2,400 people, is best known for its Block House steakhouse chain and the five-star Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg.
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The investigation into the assault and deprivation of liberty of the two children in Denmark is being handled by the Danish police, who are also the ones who discovered the incident involving the father on New Year's Eve. Despite the ongoing custody dispute, Hamburg police have confirmed that Christina Block's children are doing well under her care, as seen during a recent home visit. The public prosecutor's office is also actively involved in the investigation, protecting ongoing investigations and safeguarding personal rights. Unfortunately, the 83-year-old Eugen Block, the founder of the Block House restaurant chain, has not been able to see his grandchildren since the children visited their father in Denmark last year.
Source: www.stern.de
