Alarm in France after kidnapping of judge and her mother – 1.6 million euro bitcoin ransom demanded

A 35-year-old judge and her 66-year-old mother were kidnapped from their home in Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux in southeastern France. The perpetrators held the two women for approximately 30 hours, demanding a ransom of 1.6 million euros in bitcoin cryptocurrency. During the abduction, the victims were reportedly forced into a car trunk, and authorities discovered blood traces at the crime scene. The judge's partner, who works as an executive at a cryptocurrency company, was away when the incident occurred. The victims were eventually found tied up in a garage about 100 kilometers away after a neighbor heard suspicious noises. Both women were hospitalized with injuries, and police investigations are ongoing as no arrests have been made so far.