Christina Block, an heiress to a prominent German steakhouse chain, has been on trial in Hamburg for months in connection with allegations of organizing the forced removal of two of her children from Denmark. The case has become intertwined with Germany’s most significant espionage scandal in recent years, drawing considerable media attention and involving multiple former intelligence operatives.
According to prosecutors, Block and a family lawyer named Andreas Costard organized the operation, which was carried out during the New Year celebrations of 2023-24. The alleged abduction involved an Israeli citizen and five others who reportedly ambushed and beat the children’s father, Stephan Hensel, at his home in Denmark before forcibly taking the boy and girl, then aged 10 and 13, into a vehicle. The group allegedly changed vehicles near the border, restrained the children, and transported them to Baden-Württemberg in a campervan. Block reportedly collected the children on 2 January 2024 and brought them to her home in Hamburg. Block, Costard, and the Israeli operative are charged with abduction of minors, grievous bodily harm, and unlawful detention. Block’s partner, former television sports presenter Gerhard Delling, and three others face charges of aiding and abetting. All deny involvement except the Israeli operative, who claims he believed he was conducting a rescue operation.
The trial stems from a prolonged custody dispute between Block and Hensel following their separation. While Block initially had custody of all four children in Hamburg, the two youngest went to visit their father in Denmark in 2021 and were not returned as planned. Although a Hamburg court ruled the children should be returned to Block, a Danish court determined they could not be forcibly taken back. The defense argues that the Israeli security team acted independently, and Block has testified she knew nothing of abduction plans. However, the head of the Israeli security operation stated that Block and Costard were aware of the planned operation.
The case took an extraordinary turn when investigators uncovered evidence implicating August Hanning, Germany’s former intelligence chief, in separate espionage activities. Hanning was arrested earlier this month on charges of treason and espionage relating to allegations that he purchased approximately 2,000 documents from a former aide and transferred state secrets to unspecified foreign powers. Though not charged in the Block trial, Hanning faced accusations of arranging security personnel for an earlier attempted abduction in 2022. His legal representatives contest the charges as unjustified persecution. The trial has experienced multiple delays, with the most recent two-week postponement caused by the absence of a witness.
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