Verdict due on December 22
The trial over Diego Maradona’s death is nearing its end. The San Isidro court in Argentina announced on Thursday that it will hand down its verdict on December 22, after six months of proceedings and 51 hearings since April.
Seven health professionals (doctors, nurses, a psychiatrist and a psychologist) are being tried over alleged fatal negligence during the Argentine football icon’s home hospitalisation.
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Dalma Maradona: “justice for Dad”
Invited to speak briefly at the close of the hearings, Maradona’s eldest daughter Dalma said through tears that she hopes her father gets the justice he deserves, like anyone else. She added that she and her sister Gianinna had heard harsh things about themselves during the trial.
Court president Alberto Gaig was also visibly moved as he announced the verdict date, according to AFP.
Prosecution demands and defence pleas
Prosecutors asked for four to 12 years in prison for six of the seven defendants, with the heaviest sentence sought against neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s trusted doctor at the time. Some civil parties, including Maradona’s children and sisters, asked for up to 16 years, notably against Luque and Nancy Forlini, the medical coordinator of his convalescence. Eight years were sought against psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov.
Luque once again said he was heartbroken and maintained his innocence. On Thursday, lawyers for nurse coordinator Mariano Perroni and nurse Ricardo Almirón pleaded for acquittal, insisting that vital signs were checked on every shift. The defence teams often pointed the finger at one another, and some disputed the findings of the medical panel appointed by the court in 2021.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, aged 60, at a rented house in Tigre where he was recovering from brain surgery. The defendants are presumed innocent until the verdict.
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