By Daily Mail (World News) | Created at 2026-06-09 10:30:36 | Updated at 2026-06-10 18:01:57
1 day ago
Former racing driver Joey Mawson has broken his silence after a court cleared him of raping Michael Schumacher's nurse at the F1 star's home.
Joey Mawson, 30, was accused of raping the nurse twice on November 23, 2019, while he was staying at a mansion owned by 57-year-old Schumacher in Gland, near Geneva.
The Australian vehemently denied the allegations and previously stated that the sex was consensual.
In a judgement on Friday, the court ruled there was 'insufficient evidence' to convict Mawson, and he was allowed to leave a free man with 'no stain on his character', the judge said.
Now, Mawson has spoken out for the first time since being cleared and has announced his return to the racetrack.
In an X-post, the sportsman said: 'For the past three years, I have remained largely silent while navigating one of the most difficult periods of my life.
'During that time, I faced false allegations and the challenge of defending my name under intense public scrutiny.
'From the very beginning, I maintained my innocence and trusted that the truth would prevail.
Mawson is a close friend of Schumacher's son, Mick Schumacher, 26 (pictured in 2016)
Joey Mawson pictured outside court last week
Joey Mawson's full statement
He went on to thank his friends, family and legal team, adding: 'I am grateful that the Swiss justice system reached its verdict and that I was acquitted of all charges.'
The ex-driver went on to say he was returning to motorsports.
'I cannot wait to put my helmet back on, get behind the wheel, and focus on what has always been my greatest passion: racing,' he said.
'The past does not define me. My focus is on the future, and I am excited for what lies ahead.'
Luc Vaney, Mawson's lawyer, told the Daily Mail last week: 'He is free to go. He is innocent. He will now return to Australia and make his future and get on with his life.'
The nurse, who was later sacked from her job at the Schumacher residence, said: '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. My lawyer is very surprised.
'I have been humiliated, and I have been in and out of hospital these last six years. They let him go free, and I'm sure it's all because of the power the Schumacher family has.'
The woman, who apparently left the court crying, says she will now pursue the Schumacher family through an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.
During the trial last Tuesday, a court in Nyon, Switzerland, heard allegations that the nurse woke up in pain on blood-stained bedsheets after being allegedly sexually assaulted by the racing driver.
Mawson had spent the evening with several of Schumacher's employees, during which the nurse consumed a substantial amount of alcohol.
According to the indictment, she became so intoxicated that she was unable to stand, fell to the floor and was carried to her room, fully clothed, by staff.
Prosecutors alleged that the rape later took place in that room.
When the nurse woke up, she was naked, and allegedly could not remember what had happened.
She then noticed blood on her bedsheets and felt pain in her vaginal and anal areas.
The nurse told the court that she asked a fellow employee what had happened, and he confirmed she had been carried up to her room and they had sent Mawson to check on her.
The employee seemed to think nothing had occurred, but when she asked Mawson, he allegedly confirmed something had happened.
The alleged attack took place in Schumacher's mansion (pictured) in Gland, Switzerland
Michael Schumacher (pictured) suffered catastrophic brain injuries during a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013, and hasn't been seen in public since
Vaney added to the Daily Mail: 'My client is very relieved that this ordeal is now behind him. He is grateful to the court and now wants to get on with his life. He was under a great deal of stress.
'He’s even talked about getting back into racing if possible because he has no black mark on his character, the judge said he was innocent.
'The court believed our version of events and was happy that the videos we provided showed the girl was conscious and able.
'They had drunken sex but it was not rape, he has always said it was consensual. The messages read out in court also back up our version of events.
'He will now return to Australia next week and get on with his life.'
The prosecution had demanded a four-year prison sentence.
The court gave the woman 30,000 Swiss francs (£28,000) in compensation for moral harm, money she can claim in further civil proceedings, according to Bild.
Mawson explained in court on Tuesday that he had spent the night at the nurse's apartment, claiming he stayed there until dawn because he 'didn't want the employees to know about the intimate moment we had together'.
He added: 'I hadn't realised how drunk I actually was. It wasn't until the next morning that I realised how drunk I had been.
'During the night, I had assumed she was less drunk than I realised the next morning.'
In his testimony, Mawson insisted that the nurse had been 'flirtatious' and had instigated kissing and that they had 'touched each other's genitals'.
He added: 'She was not intoxicated, she was alert and conscious, she was flirting and she managed to get her leg on the pool table.
'You could see from her body language she was being flirtatious. I knocked on her room and she invited me in.'
Mawson said that two videos, which were provided to the court but not shown, proved that the nurse was 'being flirtatious'.
The videos were timed at 10.15pm and midnight on the evening the alleged offence took place.
He told the court that when he heard of the allegations against him, he had texted the nurse and apologised saying: 'I'm sorry for any emotional damage and physical pain I caused you.'
Prosecution read out text messages that Mawson had sent the nurse, which also said: 'I'm so sorry from the bottom of my heart.'
When asked by trial judge Patricia Cornaz why he had done so, he replied: 'Because I was overwhelmed by the accusations against me. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, but I had done nothing wrong.'
The nurse, who has not been identified in the case, was caring for Schumacher, who suffered catastrophic brain injuries during a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013, and hasn't been seen in public since.
The seven-time F1 champion requires round-the-clock care.
Mawson is said to be a friend of Schumacher’s son, Mick Schumacher, 27, also a Formula 1 driver, with the pair competing against each other previously in their careers.
No members of the Schumacher family have been implicated in the rape trial.
