Since the death of Diego Maradona on November 25, 2020, the mystery of the causes of his death from a heart attack remains whole, and the soap opera around the potential responsible never ends. Almost two years later, the judge of the city of San Isidro in Argentina announced, Wednesday June 22, that eight health professionals will be tried for manslaughter with aggravating circumstances, at the end of the investigation into the death of the legendary number ten Argentinian.
The latter confirmed the trial of these professionals, including a neurosurgeon and family doctor, a clinical doctor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a nursing manager and nurses. The prosecution had requested this trial in April, pointing out shortcomings and negligence in the care of the ex-star.
Maradona died of a cardio-respiratory attack on November 25, 2020, alone, on his medical bed in a residence in northern Buenos Aires, while recovering from neurosurgery. He suffered from kidney and liver problems, heart failure, neurological deterioration, and addiction to alcohol and psychotropic drugs.
The eight suspects will be tried for “simple homicide with dolus eventualis”, a typical offense when a person commits negligence knowing that it could result in someone’s death. They face sentences ranging from 8 to 25 years in prison, but should appear free at trial, the San Isidro prosecutor’s office having never requested their pre-trial detention.
According to prosecutors, the personnel in charge of Maradona had been “protagonist of an unprecedented, totally deficient and reckless hospitalization at home”, and would have committed “series of improvisations, mismanagement and shortcomings”. An expert report, as part of the investigation, had concluded that the former player had been “left to his fate” by his medical team, leading him to a slow agony.
Psychologist, doctor or nurse, the suspects had all during their hearings, defended their actions, within the framework of their field of competence, at the bedside of the champion. Leopoldo Luque, attending physician and confidant of Maradona appearing among the defendants, had said to himself “proud of what (he) has done”, ensuring to have “tried to help” Maradona. No date has been put forward at this stage for the holding of the trial.