Custody dispute and child abduction
Media reports: Police search Block family’s villa and luxury hotel
Christina Block with her father Eugen Block (archive photo)
© Stephan Wallocha / Imago Images
They came at dawn: On Friday morning, police officers went out to search the property and hotel of the Hamburg steakhouse dynasty Block. The background is the kidnapping of two children on New Year’s Eve.
The Hamburg police are searching the steakhouse dynasty’s villa on Friday morning Block in the north of the Hanseatic city as well as its luxury hotel “Grand Elysée” not far from Dammtor train station in the city center. The “Hamburger Abendblatt” and the “Bild” newspaper, among others, reported this unanimously.
The Hamburg police pointed out star-Inquiry to the public prosecutor’s office. She could not initially be reached for comment.
The operation may be about finding evidence in connection with the kidnapping of the two grandchildren of the founder of the steak restaurant chain “Block House”, Eugen Block.
They were taken from their father’s care in Denmark by unknown people on New Year’s Eve and taken to Hamburg. The crime is related to a custody dispute between the children’s parents that has been simmering for years and has sometimes been played out publicly. Last week, the Higher Regional Court in Hamburg decided that the boy and girl should return to their father. They now live in Denmark again. It is not known who exactly was behind the kidnapping.
More on this here shortly.
Sources: Hamburg Police, “Hamburger Abendblatt”, “Bild” newspaperDPA news agency