Australian racing driver Joey Mawson has been cleared of all sexual assault charges by a Swiss court following allegations made by a nurse who was caring for seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher. The 30-year-old driver, who was previously a close friend of Mick Schumacher, had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman twice while she was unconscious at the Schumacher family mansion following a party.
The court ruled there was “insufficient evidence” to convict Mawson, who had consistently denied the allegations and maintained that any intimate contact was consensual. His attorney Luc Vaney told German publication BILD that it was “a just verdict” and that his client “can finally make plans for the future now that his name has been cleared.” The acquittal brings an end to a legal case that had cast a shadow over the driver’s career and personal life.
According to court documents, the incident allegedly occurred after Mawson was playing pool with two other Schumacher family staff members when the nurse joined them following her shift. The woman had consumed alcohol and felt unwell before falling asleep on the floor, after which colleagues moved her to a nearby bedroom without undressing her. The nurse claimed she was working her sixth consecutive day, had not eaten, and was exhausted at the time of the alleged assault.
During testimony, Mawson admitted to sleeping in the woman’s room “until the early hours of the morning” to prevent other staff from discovering their “intimate moment.” He also acknowledged having limited memory of parts of the evening due to his alcohol consumption. The nurse, who reportedly left the courtroom in tears after the verdict, expressed her devastation in a statement, saying she felt “attacked,” was subsequently “sacked,” and now believes the court has “basically said I am a liar.”