Corinna Schumacher has released a scathing statement against a former employee who ‘masterminded’ a recent blackmail plot involving her husband, Michael Schumacher.
Once a force to be reckoned with on the Formula One circuit, Schumacher, 56, earned 91-career victories and seven World Championships during his illustrious auto racing career.
However, just a year after Schumi retired from the motorsport for a second time, he was involved in a tragic skiing accident in Meribel, a ski resort in France.
It’s understood the German went off-piste on December 29, 2013, experiencing a serious head injury when he hit his head a rock.
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Months after being placed in a medically induced coma in a hospital in Grenoble, Schumacher returned to his home in Switzerland to continue his recovery.
The F1 star has not been seen in public since the accident, with his wife Corinna, 55, working around the clock to care for the sportsman and keep details of his health under lock and key.
However, last week, three men were convicted of trying to force the Schumacher family to hand over £12 million (€15m) to prevent 900 personal photos, nearly 600 videos and medical records from making their way online.
The BBC reports that Yilmaz Tozturkan, 53, who was considered the blackmail plot leader, was sentenced to three years in prison by the German court while his son, Daniel Lins, 30, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence.
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Markus Fritsche, 53, who worked for the Schumachers as a security guard for 18 months before the skiing accident, also received a two year suspended prison sentence.
Following the ruling, Corinna has stated that she is not content with the sentences that were given to the three perpetrators.
“We have appealed against what we consider to be the far too lenient sentence for Mr. F.," the West German-native said, as per ESPN.
"In my opinion, he was the mastermind behind this. What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust. He should receive a punishment that deters any potential copycats.”
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Corinna’s statement was in line with a note released by Thilo Damm, a representative of the Schumachers at the extortion trial.
“We do not agree with everything the court said. You can rest assured that we will exhaust all legal possibilities at our disposal,” he claimed. "We don't know where the missing hard drive is. I don't have a crystal ball, but there is the possibility of another threat through the backdoor.”
Back in 2021, Corinna gave a rare insight into her husband’s ongoing health battle during the titular Netflix documentary.
“Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find,” she tearfully explained.
“We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.”
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The ex-equestrian champion, who shares two children with Schumacher, added that she would always do ‘everything’ to ‘carry on as a family’.
The former employee was accused of transferring the files to the other suspects for a ‘five-figure sum’ and has been handed a suspended two-year prison sentence by officials.
As per the Daily Mail, Fritsche reportedly contacted Tozturkan, claiming he was in ‘possession’ of material related to Schumacher.
“He asked if we could do anything with it. I said: 'I will ask but we will definitely be able to do something',” the guilty party told Wuppertal District Court on 10 December.
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“I said: 'I will ask but we will definitely be able to do something',” he continued. "I was given two hard drives, one was black, and the other was blue. For the most part I admit everything, but I didn't buy the pictures.
"I was going to try and sell them first but when I didn't get any interest that's when I contacted the Schumacher family.”
Topics: Michael Schumacher, Crime, Sport, Formula 1, World News
Ella Scott