Maradona’s Medical Team Faces Trial for Negligence Four Years After His Death
(FILES) Members of social organizations stand next to a mural depicting late Argentine football star Diego Maradona during a protest at Pueyrredon bridge in Buenos Aires on December 2, 2022. Four years after the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, seven healthcare professionals will go on trial on March 11, 2025, in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, accused of negligence that may have led to his death. Over a hundred witnesses, including members of Maradona's family and doctors who tended to him down the years, will take the stand over the course of the four-month trial. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
Seven healthcare professionals who cared for Argentine football icon Diego Maradona in his final days went on trial Tuesday, facing charges of criminal negligence in connection with his death.
Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60 while recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot. His death followed years of struggles with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
If convicted of “homicide with possible intent” — a charge implying they knowingly took actions that could lead to his death — the defendants face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.
His passing plunged Argentina into mourning amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with tens of thousands gathering to pay their last respects as his body was laid in state at the presidential palace.
The long-awaited trial, held in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro, is expected to last until July, with over 100 witnesses, including Maradona’s family members and medical professionals, set to testify.
Maradona was found dead in bed two weeks after surgery, in a rented home in an upscale Buenos Aires neighborhood where he had been recovering after his hospital discharge. A heart attack was determined to be the cause of death.
The night nurse assigned to his care later stated that he had noticed “warning signs” but was instructed “not to wake” Maradona.
The accused include a neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, medical coordinator, nursing coordinator, doctor, and night nurse. Meanwhile, the day nurse who discovered Maradona’s body has requested a separate jury trial.
Prosecutors argue that the medical team was negligent in arranging home care, calling it “reckless” and “wholly inadequate.” They claim Maradona was left to suffer for an “extended and agonizing period” without proper medical intervention.
A panel of 20 medical experts, assembled by Argentina’s public prosecutor in 2021, concluded that Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” had he received proper treatment in a suitable medical facility. Notably, the home where he was staying lacked a defibrillator.
Maradona’s family insists that leaked text messages and audio recordings prove his condition was critical, yet the medical team allegedly sought to prevent his daughters from intervening to avoid losing their financial gains, according to Mario Baudry, the lawyer representing Maradona’s son, Dieguito.
However, Vadim Mischanchuk, attorney for psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, expressed confidence in her acquittal, arguing that she was responsible for Maradona’s mental health, not his physical well-being.
In Buenos Aires’ La Paternal neighborhood, where a young Maradona first showcased his brilliance as a player for Argentinos Juniors in the 1970s, graffiti demanding “Justice for Diego!” has appeared on walls ahead of the trial.
“All of society deserves to know the truth… who abandoned him, and who must be held accountable,” said pensioner Hilda Pereira, her voice trembling. “Maradona didn’t deserve to die alone.”
Meanwhile, Argentina’s left-wing newspaper Página 12 questioned, “Will anyone be held accountable for Maradona’s death?”
