120 witnesses

Negligent homicide? The Maradona trial begins

The cult of Diego Maradona remains unbroken even after his death.

(Bild: AFP/JUAN MABROMATA)

Was it involuntary manslaughter? Just over four years ago, the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona caused worldwide grief and shock - from Tuesday, seven people who had looked after Maradona and provided him with medical care in his final days will stand trial in San Isidro, a suburb of the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires.

Around 120 witnesses are to be questioned in the proceedings, including relatives, friends and former doctors of the ex-footballer as well as experts. 

The trial is expected to last around four months, with the seven defendants facing prison sentences of between eight and 25 years if convicted. Diego Armando Maradona died on November 25, 2020 at the age of 60 a few weeks after undergoing brain surgery due to a blood clot. Even before the operation, Maradona's state of health had given cause for concern. He had struggled for decades with alcohol and cocaine addiction and their consequences.

(Bild: AP/AP1986)

The ex-footballer died alone in his hospital bed in a house he had rented in an exclusive district of Buenos Aires. Maradona had been taken there two weeks after his brain operation to recover from the procedure.

Pulmonary edema as cause of death
The cause of death was found to be severe pulmonary edema as a result of "worsening chronic heart failure". According to the night nurse, he had previously observed some "warning signs" in his prominent patient. However, he had been instructed "not to wake Maradona", so that he was only found dead in his bed the next morning.

Maradona's death in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic caused mourning in Argentina and among soccer fans around the world. When his body was laid out in the Argentine presidential palace, tens of thousands of people queued up to say goodbye in person.

Trial for involuntary manslaughter
The neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, the psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, the psychologist Carlos Díaz, the medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, the care coordinator Mariano Perroni, the doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagna and the nurse Ricardo Almirón are now on trial. They are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. Nurse Dahiana Gisela Madrid has requested that her case be tried separately before a jury. Her trial is due to begin in July.

The public prosecutor's office accuses the defendants of "reckless" and "inadequate" treatment of Maradona. The 60-year-old was left to his fate for an "extended, agonizing period" before his death.

A panel of 20 medical experts appointed by the public prosecutor's office had concluded in mid-2021 that Maradona would have had a "better chance of survival" if he had received appropriate treatment in an appropriate medical facility. Judge Orlando Díaz, who ruled on whether to pursue the charges, emphasized that each of the defendants had contributed to the tragic events that led to Maradona's death.

(Bild: AFP/JUAN MABROMATA)

Defendants deny malpractice
The defendants deny any responsibility for the soccer star's death and refer to their respective limited areas of responsibility. Vadim Mischanchuk, defense lawyer for psychiatrist Cosachov, for example, told the AFP news agency that the public prosecutor's office had not been able to prove with certainty that Maradona's treatment team was responsible for his death, despite intensive investigations. The lawyer was confident that his client would be acquitted, as she was primarily responsible for Maradona's mental health and not his physical health.

According to Maradona's relatives, however, audio and text messages show that the defendants were aware that Maradona's life was in acute danger. The medical team's main concern was that the relatives of their prominent patient did not intervene because the medical staff would have "lost their money" if they had been relieved of their duties, explained Mario Baudry, the lawyer for Maradona's son Dieguito.

Maradona is revered in Argentina with countless murals, statues and exhibitions. In addition, he is soon to be given a mausoleum on a thousand-square-meter plot of land in Puerto Madero, a tourist district in Buenos Aires. "We want our father to be close to the love of the people," said his daughter Dalma Maradona during a video presentation of the soccer legend's future resting place. It is expected that up to one million people will visit the admission-free memorial every year.