Australian driver 'missing' in investigation over rape at Schumacher mansion

An Australian driver at the centre of an investigation into a claim he allegedly raped one of Michael Schumacher’s nurses has been reported missing from the first day of trial.

Swiss-French publication 24heures reported that the defendant, who lives in Australia, failed to attend the hearing on Wednesday at Nyon Criminal Court in Switzerland.

Prior to the hearing, 24heures reported fears the suspect would be absent for the beginning of the trial, and also revealed that the driver's lawyer had requested that the court adjourn the trial from the outset.

The Schumacher family are not related to the criminal case in any way, were not asked to comment and have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Driver accused of raping nurse at Swiss Schumacher property

The suspect has been reported to be a former close friend of Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time champion and F1 legend Michael.

The accusation alleged that the Australian driver had raped one of the F1 champion's nurses at the family estate in Gland, Switzerland, in 2019, after she had spent the evening drinking vodka-based cocktails with the suspect and two of her colleagues following her shift.

She is believed to have quickly fallen ill, prompting a physiotherapist and the suspect to carry her to her bed in an an upstairs room of the property, with the driver leaving and then allegedly returning alone to commit the sexual assault twice whilst the nurse lay unconscious.

The victim is in her thirties and worked in the mansion as part of the medical team who provided on-site care to Schumacher after suffering a head injury in a tragic skiing accident in 2013.

Following the suspect's absence this week, the trial has now been postponed and the prosecutor has reportedly proposed a six-month delay, with a new date not yet agreed upon.

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