The family of legendary German Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher has reported the blackmail to the Swiss authorities. They demanded 15 million euros from the racer’s relatives, threatening to publish photographs of Schumacher after the accident, The Guardian reports.
The rider has not appeared in public for about 10 years after a serious accident and is now under guardianship in Switzerland. Swiss investigators tracked down the blackmailers using the phone number from which they called the family and demanded a ransom.
Three German residents turned out to be blackmailers and were arrested.
Prosecutors said the main suspect, 53, had threatened to reveal private photographs and videos of Schumacher, including images of him after a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013 that left him with a severe traumatic brain injury.
The materials presumably belong to another 51-year-old resident of Germany, who worked as a security guard for the jogger’s family. The third suspect is the 30-year-old son of one of the participants in the scheme, and he created an untraceable email address.
The main suspect has been charged with attempted blackmail with a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, but the sentence could be reduced because the threat was not carried out.
As reported EADailyIn December 2013, the runner and his family were on vacation in the French part of the Alps. The athlete’s skis touched an invisible obstacle, after which he hit his head on a stone. Furthermore, the blow was so strong that Schumacher’s protective helmet broke. The athlete was in an induced coma for several months; He underwent a series of complex brain surgeries, after which he was sent home to recover.
In June of this year it became known that caring for Michael Schumacher costs 7 million euros a year. We are talking about doctors’ fees, the cost of medical equipment and medications. In the years since the injury, the runner’s wife has sold almost all of her property, including a luxurious family home on the shores of Lake Geneva, a cabin in Norway, a private jet and a large collection of wristwatches.
In addition, the Schumacher family also spends a lot of money on the security service, thanks to which in the last ten years not a single reliable photograph of the sick Michael has been leaked to the media.
