Four years after the demise of football icon Diego Maradona, seven healthcare practitioners are scheduled to face trial next week, charged with medical negligence during his final moments.
The judicial proceedings, which are set to commence on Tuesday in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, are anticipated to span four months and will incorporate testimonies from over 100 witnesses, comprising Maradona’s relatives and former medical providers.
The accused—neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni, physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna, and nurse Ricardo Almiro—are confronted with allegations of reckless homicide and may face incarceration terms ranging from 8 to 25 years.
Additionally, another nurse, Gisela Dahiana Madrid, is scheduled to be tried separately in July.
Maradona, who passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, was recuperating from a surgical procedure addressing a cerebral hematoma.
He experienced a fatal cardiac arrest while receiving home care in Buenos Aires.
Prosecutors contend that his medical team rendered “reckless” and “deficient” care, thereby subjecting him to a protracted and excruciating condition prior to his death.
A medical report from 2021 indicated that he might have survived had he received adequate medical attention.
The defendants refute any allegations of misconduct, while Maradona’s family asserts that leaked communications substantiate that his health was critically compromised and that the medical personnel endeavored to prevent his daughters from intervening.
Maradona continues to be an esteemed figure in Argentina, with numerous tributes established throughout the nation.
His mausoleum, projected to attract one million visitors annually, is set to open shortly in Buenos Aires.
