Followers of Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona collect, on the day of a court docket case towards folks charged with Maradona’s demise, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 11, 2025. — Reuters
Argentina started a long-awaited trial on Tuesday of the medical crew for soccer star Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, in a case that has riled feelings within the South American nation the place the World Cup winner continues to be revered.
Relations and the accused arrived on the court docket on the outskirts of capital metropolis Buenos Aires. Maradona’s nurses, mind surgeon and psychiatrist are amongst these accused of murder by negligence.
Exterior the San Isidro appeals court docket, followers held up placards with the message “Justice for D10S,” utilizing a nickname based mostly on Maradona’s shirt quantity and the Spanish phrase for God.
Maradona is taken into account one of many biggest soccer gamers ever.
Seven members of the medical crew are due in court docket in a trial anticipated to final a number of months. An eighth member faces a trial by jury in July.
Maradona died at house in November 2020 from coronary heart failure at age 60 whereas recovering from surgical procedure to take away a blood clot days earlier. His medical crew reject the costs of “simple homicide with eventual intent” within the remedy of the previous Boca Juniors and Napoli participant.
If convicted, they might face jail sentences of between eight and 25 years.
Maradona’s demise rocked the South American nation the place he was revered for main Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, prompting an outpouring of grief and finger-pointing over who was accountable after Maradona’s years-long battle with drug habit and ailing well being.
Greater than 100 witness testimonies are as a result of be introduced to the three-judge court docket, starting from members of the family and docs to mates and journalists. Prosecutors on the primary day of the trial will learn out the indictment.
Investigators categorized the case in 2021 as culpable murder, a criminal offense just like involuntary manslaughter, as a result of they decided the accused have been conscious of the seriousness of Maradona’s well being situation and did not take the mandatory measures to save lots of him.
“There are more than enough elements to prove that Diego was not treated properly,” mentioned Mario Baudry, lawyer for considered one of Maradona’s sons who along with different members of the family introduced the case ahead to reporters.
“Justice has accused them of homicide with eventual intent. Let’s hope that justice is done, that’s what we all want,” the lawyer added.
These standing trial embody psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Ángel Díaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse Ricardo Almirón, the chief nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni and medical doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagna.
An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, might be tried individually in July, native media reported.
