HAMBURG, July 6, 2024
Family Feud Turns Criminal Case
A Hamburg court prepares for a high-profile trial involving kidnapping and a bitter custody battle.
Entrepreneur Christina Block, 52, and her partner Gerhard Delling, 66, face charges related to the alleged kidnapping of Block’s children, marking the culmination of a family tragedy with widespread implications.
Key Takeaways:
• Christina Block and Gerhard Delling face charges related to the alleged kidnapping of Block’s children.
• The case involves a complex family custody dispute and accusations of violence.
• Several other individuals, including a lawyer, ex-police officer, and Israeli citizens, are implicated.
What is the Christina Block case about? The Christina Block case centers around allegations that she commissioned the kidnapping of her two youngest children amid a heated custody battle with her ex-husband. The trial, set to begin this Friday, promises to be one of the year’s most closely watched legal dramas.
A Chilling New Year’s Attack
The case revolves around an incident on New Year’s morning when Block’s two children, Theodor, 11, and Klara, 14, were with their father, Stephan Hensel, in Graasten, Denmark. As they watched fireworks at the harbor, a group of masked individuals attacked them. Hensel was reportedly beaten, and the children were forced into a car.
According to the indictment, the children were then taken across the Danish-German border and eventually brought to a farm in Mühlacker, Baden-Württemberg. There, they were reunited with their mother, Christina Block, who then took them to Hamburg.
Custody Battle Escalates
The kidnapping followed a protracted custody dispute. Hensel had kept the children in Denmark since August 2021, citing allegations of violence against Block. However, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court deemed these allegations as excessive.
The Accused
Seven individuals are charged in this case. Besides Block and Delling, the accused include:
• Andreas C., a lawyer allegedly involved in planning.
• A cousin of Block and her husband.
• Andreas P., a former Hamburg State Criminal Police Office official.
• Tal S., an Israeli citizen arrested in Cyprus.
Authorities are also searching for four other Israeli citizens and investigating David B., head of a German security company with ties to Israel, and his associate, Keren A.
Potential Penalties
Christina Block faces charges of severe withdrawal of minors, dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of freedom, and severe abuse of those under protection. If convicted, she could face a prison sentence of four years or more. The Criminal Code allows for sentences between one and ten years for serious withdrawal, and up to fifteen years if severe abuse is involved.
Gerhard Delling is charged with aiding in the severe withdrawal of minors, dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of freedom, and severe abuse. The court is considering complicity. The public prosecutor stated that the “punishment for the assistant is based on the threat of punishment for the perpetrator; however, it can be mitigated.”
Defense Strategy
Otmar Kury, Christina Block’s attorney, denies all charges. He insists that Block “did not give the order to kidnap her children and would never have been ready to do so.” Kury claims Block believed her late mother, Christa Block, commissioned and paid for the kidnapping without the family’s knowledge. Christina Block supposedly learned of the kidnapping on New Year’s morning. Prosecutors dismiss this as a fabrication.
Another investigation is underway regarding Block’s alleged attempt to retrieve the children in November 2022 using a security company, which failed. Previously, a plan to bring the children to Germany by boat via the Flensburg Fjord was abandoned due to legal concerns raised by a security service provider from Appen near Hamburg, who will testify in court.
The Investigation
LKA 63, a special department that investigates mafia structures and organized crime, led the investigation, working with Interpol, Europol, and other international police forces. Investigators searched the Grand Elysée Hotel, owned by the family, where the kidnapping plan was allegedly devised, multiple times. They also searched Christina Block’s residence and Block Systems GmbH, the IT backbone for nearly 70 restaurants.
The Judge
Isabel Hildebrandt, presiding judge of the large criminal chamber 32, will oversee the proceedings. She joined the Hamburg District Court in May 2020. Earlier this year, she sentenced two port employees for aiding a drug gang and a tutor for sexually abusing a child.
Family Patriarch
Eugen Block, 84, the family patriarch, is not charged. A prosecutor’s spokeswoman stated, “The public prosecutor’s office was unable to determine sufficient suspicion against the 84-year-old grandfather of the children.” Eugen Block had contacted security and consulting firms during the custody dispute but showed no concrete involvement in the kidnapping. This also applies to the children’s 46-year-old uncle. Eugen Block expressed his pain over the loss of contact with his grandchildren in a public letter in late May.
The Children’s Ordeal
The children reportedly suffered violent treatment during the kidnapping. Klara had bloody abrasions and bruises and their mouths were taped shut to silence screams. The Hamburg Higher Regional Court ordered the children to return to their father. They arrived in Denmark on January 5 and were placed in a child protection house for trauma treatment. The family has since moved several times and the children are attending a new school under assumed names.
Both children are co-plaintiffs in the case. Klara, 14, reportedly intends to testify against her mother and has filed a criminal complaint against a Hamburg youth welfare employee for refusing to help them after a family visit. It remains uncertain whether the children will testify.
The Father’s Perspective
Stephan Hensel sustained injuries during the attack and is also a co-plaintiff, granting him active involvement in the criminal proceedings. Hensel faces potential charges of child deprivation for keeping the children in Denmark in August 2021. The indictment was raised in May 2023, but no trial date has been set.
FAQ: The Christina Block Case
What are the main charges against Christina Block?
Christina Block is charged with severe withdrawal of minors, dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of freedom, and severe abuse of those under protection.
Who else is accused in the kidnapping case?
Besides Block and Delling, others accused include lawyer Andreas C., a cousin of Block, ex-police officer Andreas P., Israeli citizen Tal S., and several other unidentified individuals.
What is the potential prison sentence for Christina Block?
If convicted, Christina Block could face a prison sentence of four years or more, with potential for a longer sentence depending on the severity of the abuse.
What is Christina Block’s defense strategy?
Christina Block’s attorney claims she did not order the kidnapping and believed her late mother commissioned it without her knowledge.
