An Australian race car driver accused of raping a nurse caring for former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher was today identified as Joey Mawson.
The accused is said to have raped the nurse twice in a bedroom at the 56-year-old German star’s mansion in Gland, near Geneva, on November 23 2019.
Mawson, 29, vehemently denies the charge, but has ‘not been heard of for months,’ according to court officials.
The revelation followed the opening of a trial in Nyon, Switzerland, on Wednesday in which Mawson failed to show up.
In his absence, the rape trial was formally opened, but then adjourned to ‘a date to be fixed’.
This was because of the non-appearance of the defendant, prosecutor Xavier Christe confirmed.
Patrick Michod, for the victim, opposed the adjournment, arguing that ‘the evidence [against the defendant] is overwhelming.’
Three judges sitting in court deliberated for an hour before agreeing to the adjournment.
An Australian race car driver accused of raping a nurse caring for former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher was today identified as Joey Mawson (pictured)
Joey Mawson and Mick Schumacher during the ADAC sportgala ‘Die Nacht der Sieger 2016’ on December 17, 2016 in Munich
The alleged attack took place in Schumacher’s mansion (pictured) in Gland, Switzerland
Switzerland has an extradition treaty with Australia, so the defendant could technically be forced to travel to Europe.
Mawson is a close friend of Schumacher’s son, Mick Schumacher, 26, and also a driver.
The complainant – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was part of a medical team providing assistance to Schumacher, the former seven time F1 champion, who has not been seen in public since a 2013 ski accident.
The Schumacher family are otherwise uninvolved in the case, and were not listed as witnesses in the case at the Nyon District Court.
The accused has admitted a ‘consensual relationship’ with the woman, who is in her 30s, and he says he has the phone messages to prove it.
He also says the woman only complained about him two years after the alleged attack, after the Schumacher family had fired her from her job.
On the night of the alleged rape, the nurse is said to have felt unwell after drinking vodka following a shift and was unable to stand.
She was carried by a physiotherapist and the defendant to a private room reserved for staff during night shifts, and they put her to bed ‘without undressing her’, according to prosecution papers.
Michael Schumacher (pictured) suffered catastrophic brain injuries during the skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013, and hasn’t been seen in public since
Mawson, who was staying in a neighbouring room, returned later and raped her twice, it is claimed.
He frequently stayed with the Schumacher family in between races, so as to avoid long return flights to Australia.
No complaint was received from the alleged victim until January 2022, and the defendant cooperated during the initial stages of the investigation.
The case continues.
Michael Schumacher suffered catastrophic brain injuries during the skiing accident in the French Alps.
He was relocated to the family home on the shores of Lake Geneva in September 2014.
During a massively successful 19-year F1 career from 1991 until 2012, Schumacher raced for Ferrari, Mercedes and Benetton, amassing a £500 million fortune.
The Daily Mail has contacted Joey Mawson for comment.
