The family of Michael Schumacher recently returned to court in Germany amid fears that stolen, intensely private photographs of the stricken Formula One champion may still be in circulation.
Prosecutors have warned they cannot rule out the possibility that a missing hard drive containing hundreds of images could have been copied, hidden or sold on, raising the alarming prospect that the material could yet surface online.
The case has triggered a furious response from the Schumacher family, who are seeking tougher sentences for those convicted of attempting to extort €15 million (£13m) from them.
At the heart of the dispute is a collection of more than 900 photographs, nearly 600 videos and confidential medical documents detailing Schumacher’s condition after the 2013 skiing disaster that left him with severe brain injuries.
The stolen files are believed to include intimate images taken inside the family’s Lake Geneva home.
Only one piece of hardware containing the data has never been recovered.
Prosecutors admitted during Monday’s retrial that they have no evidence to confirm it was destroyed.
The greatest drivers in F1 history | GETTY/GBNEWS
The family of Michael Schumacher recently returned to court in Germany amid fears that stolen, intensely private photographs of the stricken Formula One champion may still be in circulation
|PA/GETTY
They warned that “we cannot exclude the possibility” that copies exist, a threat that continues to haunt a family who have kept Schumacher’s medical history fiercely private for 12 years.
The material was allegedly removed by former employee Markus Fritsche, who had access to the household.
He passed two hard drives and four USB sticks to 53-year-old Yilmaz Tozturkan and his son.
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| GETTYProsecutors say Tozturkan then demanded millions to prevent their release on the dark web.
At an earlier hearing, he admitted his role in the scheme and was jailed for three years for attempted blackmail.
Fritsche received a two-year suspended sentence, condemned by the family as “disgracefully lenient”. The Schumachers insist that he “abused years of trust” and acted as the mastermind.
Corinna Schumacher described the theft as a “massive breach of trust”, while the family’s lawyer, Sven Schnitzer, said they would fight on until a punishment reflects “the true gravity” of the offence.
The family are pushing for a four-year custodial sentence for Fritsche and have welcomed the decision for Schumacher himself to be listed as a co-plaintiff - a rare public step that underlines the strength of their resolve.
The presiding judge, addressing a packed courtroom in Wuppertal, called the extortion attempt “a disgrace” and lambasted the defendants for exploiting a man whose family has spent more than a decade protecting his privacy.
Michael Schumacher sustained serious injuries while skiing in France back in 2013 | GETTYThe court repeatedly emphasised that Schumacher’s unique status - a global icon whose condition remains shrouded in secrecy - made the crimes significantly more serious.
Tozturkan has refused to give fresh testimony during the appeal, despite previously admitting the plot.
His silence all but guarantees no further clarity over the missing hard drive.
A former nurse who once cared for Schumacher is also under investigation.
She did not appear at the original trial after claiming “social phobia”, and prosecutors believe she may never testify. They previously alleged the ransom payment was to be split three ways between her, Fritsche and Tozturkan.
The appeal is expected to run into December, with further witnesses due to appear, including Schumacher’s long-time manager Sabine Kehm.