Courts in San Isidro, Argentina, resumed proceedings Tuesday morning to establish criminal liability regarding the final days of Diego Armando Maradona's life. The new trial follows the total annulment of a previous process after a judge was removed for clandestinely filming a documentary inside the courtroom.
Seven healthcare professionals face charges of manslaughter with eventual intent. The prosecution seeks to prove that negligence and professional failures led to the football icon's death on November 25, 2020.
Lawyers for the defense and prosecution expect a more streamlined process this time. The number of witnesses has been reduced from over 200 in the previous attempt to 92 for this round of hearings.
The accusations
Prosecutors identify neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque as a primary defendant. The state alleges Luque ignored symptoms that led to Maradona's death and failed in his duties as the treating physician.
Luque's attorney, Francisco Oneto, denies these claims. "He was not Maradona's doctor, nor was he in charge of the home care, and he certainly did not make the decision for that hospitalization," Oneto told BioBioChile.
Psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov also faces charges. Prosecutors allege she administered contraindicated medication and failed to perform resuscitation efforts when Maradona was found unconscious.
Vadim Mischanchuk, representing Cosachov, argues that scientific evidence cannot prove a direct link between her actions and the cardiac event. "It cannot be established that there is causality between Maradona's death due to a cardiac problem and the activity carried out by the psychiatrist," Mischanchuk stated.
The indictment also includes psychologist Carlos Díaz, nurse Ricardo Almirón, and coordinators Nancy Forlini and Mariano Perroni. All are accused of failing in their professional duties during the home-based hospitalization.
For the Maradona family, the legal battle remains a matter of closure. The previous trial, which lasted three months, lost all legal validity after Judge Julieta Makintach was dismissed for unauthorized filming.
"The family has not been able to grieve," Mischanchuk added, noting the immense pressure of a trial involving the Maradona name.
Lawyer Pablo Jurado, representing Maradona's daughter Jana, noted that the current proceedings carry the weight of previous frustrations. The trial is scheduled to hold hearings every Tuesday and Thursday before the Oral Criminal Court No. 7.
