By Lucila Sigal
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina began a long-awaited trial on Tuesday of the medical team for soccer star Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, in a case that has riled emotions in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
Family members and the accused arrived at the court on the outskirts of capital city Buenos Aires. Maradona’s nurses, brain surgeon and psychiatrist are among those accused of homicide by negligence.
Outside the San Isidro appeals court, fans held up placards with the message “Justice for D10S,” using a nickname based on Maradona’s shirt number and the Spanish word for God.
Maradona is considered one of the greatest soccer players ever.
Seven members of the medical team are due in court in a trial expected to last several months. An eighth member faces a trial by jury in July.
Maradona died at home in November 2020 from heart failure at age 60 while recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot days earlier. His medical team reject the charges of “simple homicide with eventual intent” in the treatment of the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player.
If convicted, they could face prison sentences of between eight and 25 years.
Maradona’s death rocked the South American nation where he was revered for leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, prompting an outpouring of grief and finger-pointing over who was to blame after Maradona’s years-long battle with drug addiction and ill health.
More than 100 witness testimonies are due to be presented to the three-judge court, ranging from family members and doctors to friends and journalists. Prosecutors on the first day of the trial will read out the indictment.
Investigators classified the case in 2021 as culpable homicide, a crime similar to involuntary manslaughter, because they determined the accused were aware of the seriousness of Maradona’s health condition and failed to take the necessary measures to save him.
“There are more than enough elements to prove that Diego was not treated properly,” said Mario Baudry, lawyer for one of Maradona’s sons who together with other family members brought the case forward 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.
Those standing trial include psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Ángel Díaz, doctor Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse Ricardo Almirón, the chief nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni and clinical physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna.
An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will be tried separately in July, local media reported.
(Reporting by Lucila Sigal in Buenos Aires; Additional reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco and Eliana Raszewski; Editing by Lucinda Elliott and Rod Nickel)
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