シューマッハ家恐喝の男２人、プライベート写真を入手か

【ベルリンＡＦＰ＝時事】ドイツ検察は３日、フォーミュラワン（Ｆ１、Ｆ１世界選手権）の伝説的ドライバー、ミハエル・シューマッハ氏（５５）の家族を恐喝したとして起訴された男２人が、家族のプライベート写真を入手できる状況にあったと発表した。（写真は、フォーミュラワン〈Ｆ１、Ｆ１世界選手権〉の伝説的ドライバー、ミハエル・シューマッハ氏）
　独西部ブッパータールの検察によると、捜査官が調べたデータには「シューマッハ家のプライベートに関する写真ファイル」が含まれていたという。
　先月逮捕された容疑者は、シューマッハ家の代理人に接触して「公開されたくないと思われる」ファイルを入手したとして、「オンラインでの公開を阻止したければ数百万ユーロを支払うよう要求した」とされている。また、容疑者はうそではないことを示すために一家に「個別のファイル」を転送していたという。
　現役時代にＦ１で通算７度の年間優勝を誇ったシューマッハ氏は、２０１３年に仏アルプスでのスキー中に頭部に重傷を負って以降、公の場に姿を現しておらず、現在はスイスの自宅で看護を受けている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/07/04-16:52）

Two men accused of trying to blackmail relatives of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher had access to private family photos, German prosecutors said Wednesday.
Data records combed by investigators included photo files relating to the Schumacher family's private life, the prosecutors in the western city of Wuppertal said in a statement.
German authorities announced in June they had arrested a father and son on suspicion of trying to blackmail the Schumacher family.
The suspects contacted family representatives claiming to have access to files which the Schumachers would not want to have published, prosecutors said.
To stop the files being published online, the perpetrators demanded a payment in the millions, they said.
The suspects allegedly transferred individual files to the family in a bid to show they were not bluffing.
Michael Schumacher, a seven-time Formula One world champion, has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps.
The two suspects, who were on probation in another case, were arrested by police on June 19 in a supermarket car park in Gross-Gerau, south of Frankfurt.
Prosecutors on Wednesday said intensive investigations were being carried out into the case but no further details could be given for reasons of investigative tactics.
Schumacher's family in May won a legal action against a German tabloid magazine which printed a fake AI interview with the 55-year-old German former race driver.
Magazine Die Aktuelle had in April 2023 claimed it had an interview with the motorsport legend but the article in fact contained quotes which had been computer-generated.
German tabloid Bild reported that Schumacher's family was awarded 200,000 euros ($220,000) in compensation for the claim.