Overview

• The Hamburg public prosecutor has formally charged Christina Block, her partner Gerhard Delling, and five others in connection with the alleged abduction of her two children from their father in Denmark on New Year’s Eve 2023.
• Prosecutors allege that masked assailants ambushed the father, assaulted him, and forcibly transported the children to Germany, where they were held against their will until January 2, 2024.
• Three suspects, including Block, face charges of severe child abduction, dangerous bodily harm, and deprivation of liberty; four others are accused of aiding and abetting.
• A 35-year-old Israeli suspect, arrested in Cyprus in 2024, remains in pretrial detention in Hamburg, while international warrants have been issued for five additional suspects.
• The case stems from a protracted custody battle between Block and her ex-husband, Stephan Hensel, who himself faces charges in Hamburg for allegedly unlawfully retaining the children in 2021.