Merle B., the detective who led the investigation into the New Year’s Eve 2023/24 abduction of Christina Block’s two youngest children, testified that Block told her directly after leaving her home: „I am arranging a return.“
Block, 52, stands trial at Hamburg Regional Court on charges of orchestrating the kidnapping of her children Klara, then 13 and Theodor, then 10, during the holiday night. She denies the allegations, claiming she acted to protect them from their father.
How the children’s return unfolded according to police testimony
The detective recounted that on January 5, 2024, the children were brought to a Hamburg police station by Block’s lawyer, Ottmar Kury, after being returned from an undisclosed location. Theodor reportedly looked around confused, unaware of what had occurred, while Klara immediately asked about her father Stephan Hensel’s well-being.Hensel arrived with his wife and eldest daughter Johanna, who lives with him in Denmark under court permission. The children appeared unaware of their father’s situation or whereabouts during their absence, according to the officer’s account of their questions and behavior at the station.
What the OLG ruling meant for immediate custody
Merle B. Testified that Hensel’s lawyer informed her that an Oberlandesgericht decision had ordered the children’s return to their father, but enforcement was delayed because it was a Friday afternoon and no court bailiff was available to execute the ruling that day.This procedural gap left the children in temporary police care despite the legal determination, a detail the detective noted when explaining why the handover did not occur immediately upon their arrival at the station on January 5.
Why this testimony echoes past custody disputes
The case recalls the 2019 Hamburg Regional Court ruling in a similar international child retention matter, where delayed enforcement of a return order also left children in limbo for over 48 hours after a cross-border retrieval.Block maintains she committed no crime, asserting she removed the children to shield them from alleged harm by their father, a defense the court must weigh against the prosecution’s claim of premeditated abduction.
What charges does Christina Block face?
She is charged with kidnapping and deprivation of liberty related to the Silvesternacht 2023/24 incident, which prosecutors allege she ordered.
Could the OLG ruling affect the trial outcome?
The existing custody decision may be considered by the court as contextual evidence, but it does not determine guilt or innocence on the criminal charges of orchestrating the abduction.
Why did the children not know about their father?
According to the detective’s testimony, Klara and Theodor appeared unaware of their father’s condition or location during their absence, suggesting they had been isolated from information about him.
