Child abduction trial: Block family lawyer heard as a witness

As a witness in the Hamburg child abduction trial, a lawyer for the Block family described the days immediately after the crime on New Year's Eve 2023/24. The information that the children were no longer in Denmark “fell from heaven,” said the 55-year-old in front of the Hamburg regional court.

He was at a meeting on the morning of January 2, 2024, which was attended by, among others, his grandfather Eugen Block, founder of the Block House steakhouse chain, and the accused lawyer Andreas Costard. “None of those present had the slightest idea what had happened,” said the witness. At that time, nothing was known about the circumstances under which the children came to Germany.

Six of the seven defendants deny the allegations

The Hamburg entrepreneur Christina Block (53) is accused of having commissioned an Israeli security company to kidnap her then 13-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son from her father Stephan Hensel's home in southern Denmark to Germany after a bitter custody dispute.

A 37-year-old Israeli is the only one of the seven defendants who has admitted the prosecutor's allegations. The presumption of innocence applies to all accused. Eugen Block is not a defendant in the trial.

Christina Block's former husband did not bring the ex-couple's two youngest children back to Hamburg as agreed after a weekend visit in August 2021. Two and a half years later, masked men seized the children as they watched New Year's Eve fireworks with their father near their home.

The presiding judge asks the witness

The presiding judge Isabel Hildebrandt often questioned the witness critically. An accused security contractor testified to the police that it was also discussed during the conversation that there was violence against the father on New Year's Eve, she emphasized. The lawyer replied that he couldn't remember it being discussed.

According to the 55-year-old, his client since January 2023 has been Eugen Block, who released him from the obligation of confidentiality for this witness statement. He was supposed to advise Ms. Block on her ex-husband's custody dispute.

Why was the witness a spectator before?

The presiding judge wanted to know why he was in the audience so often during this trial. Whether he had been commissioned to report to Eugen Block. The lawyer denied this, saying there was personal interest in the case. He did not take into account his presence in the audience. Eugen Block follows the live ticker for the trial.

The witness also described how January 5, 2024 went. That was the day the children were returned to their father following a court decision. The lawyer said he also drove to Christina Block's house that day so that she would not be alone in this terrible moment. “Ms Block was devastated.” The son was also “deeply sad,” while the daughter put on a mask and acted annoyed. The presiding judge warned the witness that he should only describe memories and not provide any interpretations.

New wife should testify again as a witness

Actually, the children's father should have testified again as a witness on this 80th day of the trial, but the co-plaintiff invoked his right to refuse to testify. The charge was recently triggered by a debate about a new podcast in which the kidnapped daughter gave an interview in Denmark in January 2024.

Costard's defense attorney Marko Voß had applied to hear the father again as a witness. His accusation towards Hensel: He is exploiting the suffering of the children. Because Hensel was not willing to sit in the witness chair again, the judges want to hear his new wife for the second time - probably next week. However, the representative of the co-plaintiff stated that it was not possible to serve the summons through him. The chamber now wants to try this in other ways.

The trial continues this Tuesday.