Friday, March 7, 2025 - Four years after the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, seven healthcare professionals will go on trial, accused of negligence during his final days.
The four-month trial, set to begin on Tuesday, March 11, in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from more than 100 witnesses, including Maradona’s family members and doctors who treated him over the years.
The seven defendants face potential prison sentences ranging from eight
to 25 years if convicted. Maradona, who battled cocaine and alcohol addictions
for decades, died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, while recovering from
brain surgery for a blood clot. He was found dead in bed at a rented house in
an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he had been moved after being
discharged from the hospital two weeks earlier. The cause of death was
determined to be a heart attack.
A night nurse who was responsible for his care stated that he had
noticed some “warning signs” but had “received orders not to wake him up.”
Maradona’s death, which occurred in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, plunged
Argentina into mourning. Tens of thousands of fans lined up to pay their
respects as his body lay in state at the presidential palace.
Those standing trial include neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist
Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical coordinator Nancy Forlini,
nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni, doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagna, and nurse
Ricardo Almiro. Another nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, has requested a separate
jury trial, which is set to take place in July.
Prosecutors allege the medical professionals provided “reckless” and
“deficient” home treatment to Maradona, claiming he was abandoned to his fate
for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before his death. A panel of 20 medical
experts, convened by Argentina’s public prosecutor in 2021, concluded that
Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” if he had received proper
medical care in an appropriate facility.
The investigating magistrate stated that each of the accused played a
role in the events leading to Maradona’s death. However, all the defendants
deny responsibility. Vadim Mischanchuk, lawyer for psychiatrist Cosachov, said
he was optimistic about an acquittal, arguing that his client was responsible
for Maradona’s mental health, not his physical condition.
Maradona’s family claims leaked audio and text messages reveal that the
football legend’s health was in imminent danger. Mario Baudry, a lawyer
representing Maradona’s son, Dieguito, alleged that the messages showed the
medical team worked to keep Maradona’s daughters from intervening, fearing they
would lose financial benefits.
Maradona remains a revered figure in Argentina, immortalized in murals,
statues, exhibitions, and tattoos worn by devoted fans. Plans are also underway
for a mausoleum in the heart of Buenos Aires, which will be free for Argentines
and is expected to attract up to a million visitors annually. “We want our
father to be close to the love of the people,” said his daughter Dalma Maradona
in a video presentation of the site.
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