The family of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona will learn the outcome of the trial over his death on December 22, after proceedings against seven healthcare professionals accused of negligence concluded.
Maradona’s daughter, Dalma, appealed for justice as the trial ended on Thursday following six months of hearings.
“I hope my father receives the justice he deserves… like anyone else,” she said emotionally.
The former Argentina captain died aged 60 on November 25, 2020, from heart failure and pulmonary oedema. He was recovering from minor neurosurgery at a rented residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, when he was found dead in bed.
The case centres on whether the medical team acted negligently by allowing him to recover at home rather than in a hospital.
Prosecutors argued that the residence lacked essential medical equipment, including a hospital bed and defibrillator, while an ambulance was not readily available. Medical experts also testified that Maradona’s caregivers failed to respond adequately to warning signs, including oedema, tachycardia and breathing difficulties.
The trial began in April and heard testimony from more than 70 witnesses. Prosecutors sought prison terms ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants, with the longest sentence requested for his personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque.
Luque maintained his innocence, telling the court, “I am innocent.”
His defence team rejected the prosecution’s argument that Maradona’s death was foreseeable, describing the doctor as a “scapegoat”. The lawyers presented audio recordings, scientific articles and footage of the footballer’s autopsy in support of their case, drawing anger from Maradona’s daughters.
Luque argued that he had been targeted because of his close relationship with the football icon.
“It’s easy to attack me because I’m the one who had the most contact with Maradona,” he said, adding that “the only one who would defend me would be Diego”.
He also spoke of his affection for the late footballer, saying, “I cared deeply for him, I loved him, he was my idol and my friend.”
Maradona’s death plunged Argentina into mourning during the COVID-19 pandemic and triggered a prolonged legal battle over the circumstances surrounding his final days.
Discussion0