The Hamburg police visited the family in connection with the custody dispute over two children of entrepreneur Christina Block (50). “We were able to convince 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 simultaneously stated that they were still busy clarifying what happened and taking the necessary measures. “To protect ongoing investigations and to protect personal rights, no further information can be provided at this time,” it said.
The father’s press law representative, lawyer Michael Philippi from the Hamburg law firm Unverzagt, had already informed 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 people 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. The Danish police said in a statement that they were being investigated for assault and deprivation of liberty.
The custody dispute has caused “a lot of heartbreak” for the founder of the Block House restaurant chain, Eugen Block. The 83-year-old told the “Hamburger Abendblatt”. He confirmed that his grandchildren are now staying with his daughter Christina Block, but he has not yet seen her again.
A year ago, Christina Block said in an interview with the newspaper that she hadn’t heard from her children for 16 months (at the time). On a weekend in August 2021, the children visited their father in Denmark – and did not return to Germany.
According to Berlin family lawyer Peter Jungnatalh, Denmark is the only EU country that has not adopted two important legal regulations from the European Union. It does not automatically recognize family court decisions on custody in EU partner countries.
The Block Group, with around 2,400 employees, is best known for the Block House steakhouse chain and the Hamburg five-star Grand Elysée hotel.
