Eight doctors to be tried in Maradona's murder case

A court in Argentina will consider the case of involvement in the murder of Diego Maradona, who died on November 25, 2020 at the age of 60 from cardiac arrest, reports the BBC, citing Reuters. Among the eight defendants are doctors, nurses and a psychiatrist who worked with Maradona at the time of his death.

Immediately after the death of the athlete, the Argentine prosecutor's office conducted an investigation in hot pursuit. The house of Maradona in the vicinity of Buenos Aires and the house of his personal doctor were searched. Everyone involved in the football star's treatment was questioned. As a result, the conclusion was made public that the medical team that served Maradona acted in an "inappropriate, inadequate and irresponsible manner."

The 236-page court document, cited by Reuters, refers to the "active behavior or inaction of each of the defendants" that led to the death of the patient. In the dock will be a neurosurgeon and Maradona's personal doctor Leopoldo Luque; his psychiatrist Agustin Kosacheva; psychologist Carlos Diaz; nurses Gisella Madrid and Ricardo Almiron; their leader Mariano Perroni; doctors Pedro Di Spagna and Nancy Forlini.

The accused deny their guilt for the death of Maradona. Their lawyers intend to appeal the initiation of the case. So, for example, Vadim Mishchanchuk, a lawyer for psychiatrist Kosacheva, said that his client’s field of activity had nothing to do with the cause of death: “They are looking for the guilty party at any cost, forgetting about objectivity”.

The crime that doctors are accused of under the Argentine penal code usually entails a prison term of 8 to 25 years, according to the country's penal code. A trial date has not yet been set.