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F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law 'kidnapped in Sao Paulo' | F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law 'kidnapped in Sao Paulo' |
(about 11 hours later) | |
The mother-in-law of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been kidnapped in Brazil with criminals demanding a ransom of $36.5m (£28m), reports say. | The mother-in-law of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been kidnapped in Brazil with criminals demanding a ransom of $36.5m (£28m), reports say. |
Aparecida Schunck, 67, the mother of Mr Ecclestone's wife Fabiana Flosi, was abducted from her Sao Paulo home. | |
If confirmed, the ransom would be the largest ever demand in Brazilian criminal history. | |
Mr Ecclestone, 85, is one of the most powerful men in sport and is worth an estimated $3.1bn (£2.4bn). | Mr Ecclestone, 85, is one of the most powerful men in sport and is worth an estimated $3.1bn (£2.4bn). |
Brazilian police have not yet officially commented on the apparent kidnapping, in the Interlagos suburb of the city. | |
Mr Ecclestone married Ms Flosi in 2012, three years after meeting the now 38-year-old at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He divorced his former wife of 25 years, Croatian model Slavica Radic, to be with her and they live in the UK. | |
The kidnappers have demanded that the ransom be paid in pounds sterling and divided into four bags of cash, Veja reported. | |
Kidnapping was common in Brazil a decade ago, with Sao Paulo seeing an abduction every 27 hours in 2002, but declined after police formed a special anti-kidnap division and cracked down. | Kidnapping was common in Brazil a decade ago, with Sao Paulo seeing an abduction every 27 hours in 2002, but declined after police formed a special anti-kidnap division and cracked down. |
More common now is the practice of "express kidnapping" where people are sometimes abducted off the street and driven around cashpoints until their accounts are emptied. | |
The country, due to host the Olympic Games in less than two weeks, is experiencing its worst economic crisis for decades. | The country, due to host the Olympic Games in less than two weeks, is experiencing its worst economic crisis for decades. |
Mr Ecclestone has not commented on the reports. | Mr Ecclestone has not commented on the reports. |