The confidential medical documents of legendary Formula One racer Michael Schumacher were stolen and being offered for an expensive amount to the media, according to the racer’s manager, Sabine Kehm.
The yet unidentified thief is said to be offering the confidential documents for a minimum price of 60,000 Swiss francs or around $67,000.
“For several days stolen documents and data are being offered for sale. The offeror claims them to be the medical file of Michael Schumacher,” Kehm says in a statement. “We cannot judge if these documents are authentic. However, the documents are clearly stolen. The theft has been reported. The authorities are involved.”
It wasn’t clear, however, if the medical files were stolen from Grenoble or from the Lausanne hospital. German publication Bild, however, suggests the documents may have been reproduced from the company keeping the documents in Grenoble.
Regardless, Kehm adds that the purchase and publication of the stolen medical documents of Schumacher is forbidden. She likewise says that they will file criminal charges and damages against anyone who publishes or makes reference to the said medical documents.
Recall that Schumacher, 45, was involved in a dangerous accident while skiing in the French Alps that left him in coma since Dec. 29, 2013. Investigators ruled out the possibility of any criminal intent in the skiing accident.
The legendary racer started to recover last Monday from serious head injury when he was transferred from Grenoble Hospital in France to the University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Schumacher’s management team, meanwhile, has made all efforts to ensure that information on the medical condition of the racer is kept private from public scrutiny, despite continuous prodding from the press and the public. The racer’s wife, Corrine Schumacher, even asked the press and fans to leave their family alone.
Based on reports [in German], two men attempted to break in to Schumacher’s room to photograph him, and in another case another man disguised as a priest also tried to sneak into the room.
Research says the University Hospital, where Schumacher is confined, is among the best and well-known neurology facilities in Switzerland. Further, rehabilitation from such serious head injury may take months or years.
Kehm announces on Monday that Schumacher is no longer in a medically induced coma, following two operations for the removal of severe blood clots. He is expected to undergo a long rehabilitation process.
