Overview
- In Hamburg, a former youth-welfare employee testified she had not heard of violence allegations against Christina Block before summer 2021 and initially supported an immediate return of the children to their mother.
- The witness described difficult communication with the father, said she was unable to interview the children, and viewed their sudden stay in Denmark as a risk to their welfare.
- A youth-office visitor said the children appeared surprisingly normal during a brief check in Hamburg after the New Year 2023/24 retrieval, as the court scrutinizes the alleged use of an Israeli security team.
- Further evidence is scheduled, with the Israeli organizer’s testimony expected to resume on January 19, and one co-defendant remains in pretrial detention in Hamburg.
- In Siegen, proceedings against a mother and grandparents over an allegedly yearslong isolation of a girl were interrupted after the 83-year-old grandfather failed to appear; the case is set to continue on January 12 and the child is in foster care with developmental deficits.