On New Year's Eve 2023/2024, the children in the ‘Block’ case were abducted in Denmark, where they had been celebrating the New Year with their father. Shortly afterwards, they reappeared with their mother in Germany. Such child abductions occur regularly. In 2023, the Federal Office of Justice recorded 527 proceedings under the Hague Convention on Child Abduction, the relevant convention under international law. (Cross-border) child abductions entail a variety of risks for the children concerned. Our event is dedicated to these risks and an analysis of the legal framework, based on the ‘Block’ case.

For this occasion, Professor Dr Philipp M. Reuß, MJur (Oxon.) together with Gerd Uecker, lawyer specialising in family law, who represents the father of the children, will first trace the course of events of the ‘Block House’ case and take a closer look at the legal framework for cross-border child abductions. In addition, Professor Dr Eva Möhler will give us an understanding of the child psychological risks of such child abductions. Mrs Möhler is Director of the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Saarland University Hospital.