Three men have been convicted in an attempted blackmail case targeting the family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher. They sought €15 million (approximately $24.8 million) and threatened to release private photos, videos, and digitised medical records of Schumacher. In Wuppertal, Germany, a district court sentenced the main offender to three years’ imprisonment, while a co-conspirator, his son, received a six-month suspended sentence and a fine of $1,986. A former family security guard was handed a two-year suspended sentence and fined $3,973 for his involvement.
Judge Birgit Neubert highlighted the significant breach of trust by the ex-security guard. The family’s threat included the release of nearly 900 pictures and close to 600 videos on the darknet, with authorities confiscating this material, although a hard drive remains missing. The Schumacher family is appealing the lower sentence given to the former guard, pushing for a four-year term instead. While two of the defendants admitted wrongdoing, the guard’s lawyer maintained his client’s innocence, claiming no theft of sensitive data occurred.
Since Schumacher’s serious skiing accident in December 2013, which left him with a grave brain injury, the family has kept him out of the public eye. The seven-time F1 champion has been privately cared for at home in Switzerland following his hospital discharge.