Ex-model 'wanted to be James Bond', now feels exploited in Block child abduction trial
Jonathan G., a 35-year-old former model, testified in Hamburg that he was deceived into joining the kidnapping of Christina Block's children, believing it was a legal rescue. 'I'm stupid that I fell for it,' he said.
Court briefly closes public for witness testimony
The Hamburg Regional Court temporarily excluded the public on the 63rd day of the Block child abduction trial to protect witness Jonathan G. during questioning about very personal matters. The 35-year-old former model and fitness trainer had already testified the previous day that he was struggling psychologically. A defense lawyer for one of his alleged accomplices had requested to question him about past experiences detailed in a written statement to police.
Witness says he was deceived and felt like a victim
Jonathan G. told the court he felt exploited and betrayed. According to a report in Süddeutsche Zeitung, G. had wanted to be like James Bond when he was recruited.
In a prior written statement to investigators, he wrote:I feel like a victim. I'm stupid that I fell for it.
G. said he had been recruited in December 2023 and was told the operation to bring the children back to Germany was legal. He and his co-defendants believed they were heroes rescuing children from an allegedly abusive father. The witness, who speaks German and had lived in Hamburg for years, was brought into the team specifically to communicate with the children. He said he met Christina Block only once, shortly after Christmas 2023, and that encounter motivated him.I felt betrayed by Mrs. Block and Mr. Barkay.
The New Year's Eve abduction
The case centers on the kidnapping of Christina Block's two youngest children, then aged 10 and 13, on New Year's Eve 2023. They were watching fireworks in the Danish town of Gråsten when they were pulled into a car and taken to Germany. The operation was allegedly organized by David Barkay, the 69-year-old head of an Israeli security firm, who assembled a team. Barkay has testified that he was repeatedly assured the repatriation was legal under German law, and he passed that assurance on to his team members.
Defendants deny the charges
Christina Block, the 53-year-old daughter of the founder of the "Block House" steakhouse chain, is the main defendant. She denies commissioning the abduction, claiming the security firm acted on its own initiative. The alleged kidnapping occurred amid a protracted custody dispute with her ex-husband, Stephan Hensel. Six other defendants are also charged. All defendants are presumed innocent.
Safe conduct for Israeli witnesses
Jonathan G. and four other Israelis (three men and one woman) were granted safe conduct to testify in the trial. They had come forward mid-trial and received assurances of safe passage. They are expected to face charges themselves at a later date. The complex case continues, with the court hearing testimony from the alleged participants in the operation.
- Jonathan G. meets Christina Block shortly after Christmas.
- Children abducted in Gråsten, Denmark, during New Year's fireworks.
- 63rd day of trial: Jonathan G. testifies, court briefly excludes public.
