Australian racing driver cleared of raping Michael Schumacher nurse | F1 | Sport
The racing driver who had been accused of raping one of Michael Schumacher’s nurses has been cleared of all charges. Joey Mawson, a close friend of Schumacher’s son, Mick, had been standing trial over the alleged rape of an unconscious woman at the Schumacher family mansion in Switzerland in 2019.
She had alleged she was sexually assaulted twice following a cocktail party. Mawson had consistently denied the allegations and maintained he had consensual sex with the nurse. The former racing driver was acquitted on all charges in court today (Friday, June 5).
Speaking to German outlet BILD, Mawson’s lawyer said: “It’s a just verdict; he can finally make plans for the future now that his name has been cleared.”
The alleged rape had occurred over six years ago as the nurse claimed she was raped twice at a cocktail party, though Mawson insisted the pair had consensual sex.
Mawson was acquitted on all charges as the Swiss court ruled there was “insufficient evidence” to convict him.
The nurse reportedly left the courtroom in tears and later released a statement on the verdict, which read: “I feel terrible. First I was attacked, then I was sacked and now the court has basically said I am a liar.
“I have been through hell these last six years and the court decides not to convict, saying there was reasonable doubt, but no one can believe it.”
The court heard that the nurse had approached a colleague the day after the alleged rape to establish what had occurred, and he informed her that she had been carried to her room “without undressing her”, with Mawson having been sent to check on her.
Evidence presented in court further revealed that Mawson had sent the nurse messages stating: “I’m so sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
When challenged over his reasons for sending them, he responded: “It was the gentlemanly thing to do but I had done nothing wrong.”
Mawson was accused of entering the room and raping her twice while she was unconscious; the court found this not to be proven true.
The nurse pursued criminal charges in 2022, at which point she also informed the Schumacher family of the assault.
The Schumacher family remained otherwise uninvolved in the proceedings, were not listed amongst the witnesses at Nyon District Court and not implicated in the trial or accused of any wrongdoing.
