Custody case: Heir to German steakhouse chain accused of abducting own children

For more than half a century, Block House has ranked as one of the most recognised restaurant chains on the German high street - a collection of family-friendly steakhouses whose staples include the "classic Block burger" and filet mignon.

- Kate Connolly

But for months, the Hamburg-based chain has been making headlines for an altogether different reason: a bitter and extraordinary custody battle between the heiress to the family business, Christina Block, and her ex-husband over the youngest two of their four children.

Among those accused of being involved are Israeli spies, as well as a former head of Germany's domestic intelligence service.

Now the row, which had until now largely played out in lawyers' offices and - unusually for Germany, where there are strict privacy laws - in the country's tabloid press, has reached a Hamburg courtroom.

Amid a blaze of publicity, Block is standing trial in the northern port city's regional court, accused of aggravated child abduction, grievous bodily harm and unlawful detention. At the heart of the case is the allegation that she contracted a global security firm to carry out the violent, cross-border kidnapping of her two youngest children. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years behind bars.

In the dock with her is the former TV sports journalist Gerhard Delling, one of Germany's best-known football presenters and Block's romantic partner since 2021. He is accused of aiding and abetting her in the alleged abduction operation.