Charges have been filed against three men in connection with a blackmail scheme targeting the family of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher.

Since his December 2013 accident, when Schumacher fell and struck his head while skiing off-piste, he has not been seen in public. After being placed in an induced coma and waking in 2014, his family has kept details about his recovery largely private, providing few updates.

The individual believed to be the mastermind behind the blackmailing plot is a 53-year-old man from Wuppertal, Germany, who allegedly threatened to make private videos and photos of Schumacher public unless he received €15 million.

One of the accomplices, also 53, is believed to have previously worked as a security guard for the Schumacher family until 2021. He is accused of sourcing images of Schumacher, which reportedly include footage from before and after the 2013 skiing accident that resulted in life-altering injuries. Prosecutors claim he sold this material for a "five-figure sum" before the ring-leader contacted the Schumacher family in June 2024, demanding payment or threatening to release the images on the dark web.

The third suspect, the 30-year-old son of the primary suspect, is charged with being an accomplice for creating an untraceable email address used to send samples of the incriminating material to the Schumacher family, who quickly alerted the authorities.

The family notified authorities in Switzerland, where Schumacher is receiving care, and investigators were able to trace the phone number used in June back to Western Germany. The suspects now face the possibility of lengthy prison sentences.

Apart from the glimpses into the Schumacher family's life offered in the 2021 Netflix documentary ‘Schumacher’, the world remains largely uninformed about the health of the racing icon.

Schumacher’s wife Corinna has stood by his side for better or worse.

"He still shows me how strong he is every day,” she said in the documentary.

"We're trying to carry on as a family.

"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.

"And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. And we are getting on with our lives.”