Prosecutors in Switzerland allege Schumacher home nurse was raped by visiting racing driver in 2019; family not implicated
Swiss prosecutors have accused an Australian racing driver of raping a nurse at Michael Schumacher’s family home in Gland in November 2019, according to a report by Swiss daily 24 Heures. The man, who has not been named publicly and is said to be a friend of Mick Schumacher, is alleged to have assaulted the woman—part of the private medical team caring for the seven-time World Champion—while she was unconscious.
Per the indictment cited by 24 Heures, the incident followed a late-night gathering. After her shift, the nurse joined two colleagues who were playing pool with a young man. She reportedly felt unwell after drinking vodka, collapsed, and was carried by the defendant and a physiotherapist to a staff bedroom used for night shifts. Prosecutors claim she was put to bed, still clothed, and later raped twice by the accused, who was staying in a neighboring room.
The nurse is said to have woken the next day with a severe hangover and no memory of what happened. The report states that “physical and material clues” prompted her to question the night’s events. She subsequently messaged the man, asking him not to approach her again. A formal complaint was filed in January 2022. The family, who were not at the residence at the time, have not been implicated in the case.
The defendant reportedly cooperated with the early stages of the investigation, traveling from Australia to be questioned by Swiss authorities in 2024. He is said to claim the pair had a friendly relationship and had previously kissed during a night out in Geneva—an assertion the nurse disputes, telling investigators she viewed him only as a family acquaintance. The nurse was dismissed by the Schumacher household shortly before filing her complaint, more than two years after the alleged incident.
As ever with the Schumacher story, the details arrive behind thick curtains. The family has guarded Michael’s privacy since his life-changing skiing accident at Méribel in December 2013, when he suffered severe head injuries. He has not been seen in public since. Now 56, Schumacher remains one of Formula 1’s defining figures with seven world titles and 91 grand prix victories—numbers that still shape the sport’s modern yardstick.
The alleged assault, happening within the walls of a home that has been a fortress of silence for more than a decade, adds a grim and deeply personal chapter to that ongoing story. It also places a rare legal spotlight on the private operations surrounding Schumacher’s care—something the family has worked tirelessly to keep out of public view.
No further details about potential charges or a timetable for proceedings have been made public. In Switzerland, as elsewhere in Europe, the accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Neither the Schumacher family nor representatives for the accused have issued public comment in the reports cited.
For the F1 community, this is an uncomfortable headline tied to the legacy of a driver who changed the sport’s standards of excellence. It’s also a reminder that the orbit of a global icon can attract people and situations that don’t belong anywhere near a sickroom. What happens next will be determined by the courts, not the paddock.
