Swiss prosecutors have accused an Australian racing driver of raping one of Michael Schumacher’s nurses at the Formula 1 legend’s family estate in Gland, Switzerland. The alleged assault reportedly took place on November 23, 2019, following a cocktail gathering at the property.
According to prosecutors, the suspect—an Australian man in his late 30s and a close friend of Schumacher’s son, Mick—sexually assaulted the nurse, who is in her 30s, in a staff bedroom at the residence. The nurse was part of a private medical team providing long-term care for Schumacher, who has not appeared in public since suffering severe brain injuries in a 2013 skiing accident.
Authorities allege that the accused raped the nurse twice while she was unconscious. The man had access to the Schumacher family’s heavily secured estate, though neither Michael Schumacher nor his family are involved in or implicated in the criminal proceedings. The case is being handled by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the District of La Côte.
The defendant has claimed that he and the nurse had previously shared a consensual kiss at a Geneva nightclub—an assertion the woman firmly denies. On the night of the alleged assault, the nurse reportedly felt unwell after consuming vodka following her shift and was unable to stand. A physiotherapist and the accused carried her to a staff bedroom reserved for night-duty personnel, where they said they placed her in bed fully clothed. Prosecutors allege that the man later returned alone and committed the assaults.
The nurse filed a formal criminal complaint in January 2022. The accused initially cooperated with investigators and traveled from Australia to Switzerland for questioning, local newspaper 24 Heures reported. However, authorities have recently been unable to contact him, raising concerns that the case may stall.
Michael Schumacher has lived under intensive medical supervision at his Lake Geneva home since 2014, following his near-fatal skiing accident in the French Alps. The family’s estate, constructed in 2007, remains highly private and secluded behind extensive security measures.
Schumacher, one of Formula 1’s most successful drivers, earned seven world championships and 91 Grand Prix victories during a distinguished career spanning Ferrari, Mercedes, and Benetton, amassing an estimated £468 million fortune.
