Prosecutors in Maradona death trial seek sentences up to 12 years

Argentine prosecutors on Thursday urged a court to impose prison sentences as long as 12 years on seven medical professionals who treated Diego Maradona in the period before his death on 25 November 2020. The defendants — a team that included Maradona’s personal physician, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, nurses and coordinators — have been on trial since April on charges that they provided grossly inadequate care while the football icon recuperated at a private residence. Prosecutor Patricio Ferrai characterised the group’s actions as a “chaotic organisation” that left Maradona effectively helpless and accused the staff of breaching medical duties and omitting required lifesaving acts. The highest sentence sought, 12 years, was requested for Leopoldo Luque, identified in court as Maradona’s personal doctor. Other members of the team face proposed terms ranging from four to 10 years. The defendants deny wrongdoing, arguing they performed their duties and that Maradona’s death could not have been predicted. The core dispute before the court is whether allowing him to convalesce at home rather than in a hospital amounted to negligence. Prosecutors emphasised the near-absence of critical medical equipment at the home — including a hospital bed, a defibrillator and rapid ambulance access — and cited expert testimony that carers failed to respond to warning signs such as edema, tachycardia and breathing difficulties. During closing submissions, assistant prosecutor Cosme Iribarren said the fatal trajectory was apparent before the collapse, and the prosecution presented graphic images of Maradona’s body to underscore their argument. Maradona’s three daughters attended the session and reportedly covered their faces to avoid viewing the photos. The summation phase is expected to continue for around two weeks, after which the court will issue a verdict. An earlier trial on the same case was annulled last year after it emerged that a judge had participated in a secret documentary about the matter.