Corinna Schumacher has persisted in her determined legal efforts to shield details of her husband’s condition from public view, as the family approaches a sombre milestone.
The seven-time Formula One world champion sustained devastating injuries during a skiing incident in the French Alps in December 2013, and has remained entirely out of the public eye ever since.
Now aged 56, the German racing legend is understood to receive constant medical attention at a private facility within the family home.
His wife of more than three decades has permitted only a select few individuals to visit him, maintaining an unwavering commitment to protecting his dignity and privacy.
Michael Schumacher has been protected by wife Corinna Schumacher ever since his skiing accident in 2013 | GETTY
The family’s privacy battle intensified last year when revelations emerged of an alleged extortion scheme orchestrated by individuals within their trusted circle.
Markus Fritsche, who served as Schumacher’s personal bodyguard until approximately 2021, stood accused of exploiting his privileged access to the family.
Prosecutors alleged he had amassed hundreds of intimate photographs, video recordings and confidential medical documents belonging to the motorsport icon.
Fritsche allegedly collaborated with Yilmaz Tozturkan, a security worker, and Tozturkan’s son Daniel Lins, who worked in information technology.
The trio purportedly demanded £12million from the Schumachers, threatening to publish the sensitive material on the dark web should the family refuse payment.
Markus Fritsche received a two-year suspended sentence despite denying participation in the extortion scheme | YouTube/FaceBook
The three defendants were found guilty earlier this year of conspiring to obtain private footage of the stricken racing driver.
Tozturkan received the harshest punishment, being sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, whilst Fritsche was handed a two-year suspended sentence and Lins received six months suspended.
Throughout the proceedings, Corinna sought to have the entire case heard behind closed doors, according to German publication Bild.
The Wuppertal Regional Court declined her full request but did agree to temporarily exclude the public during certain portions of the trial.
This partial victory came when a Wuppertal investigator was due to give evidence concerning the private footage captured after Schumacher’s devastating accident.
Michael Schumacher’s privacy is fiercely guarded | GETTY
Despite the convictions, the Schumacher family remains deeply troubled by an unresolved matter from the investigation.
One hard drive containing footage of the Formula One champion has never been recovered, leaving open the possibility of further exploitation.
The family’s legal representative, Thilo Damm, expressed these concerns earlier this year, stating: “We don’t know where the missing hard drive is so there is the possibility of another threat through the back door.”
For Corinna, who has devoted herself to protecting her husband’s privacy since that fateful day in the Alps, the missing storage device represents an ongoing vulnerability that continues to cast a shadow over the family’s peace of mind.
