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Maradona's Doctor Denies Responsibility in Death Trial
Confirmed
In Short: Seven healthcare professionals have been on trial since April over allegations of negligence linked to Maradona's death during his two-week recovery at home.
Luque, who was a key decision-maker in Maradona's treatment, faces a potential 12-year prison sentence for negligence.
Lawyer Roberto Rallin emphasized that there was no possibility of predicting the fatal outcome, while Francisco Oneto maintained that Maradona's death resulted from an 'acute and unpredictable' heart attack.
The prosecution, however, accused Luque of inaction, stating that he repeatedly failed to take appropriate steps despite signs that Maradona's health was deteriorating.
Seven healthcare professionals have been on trial since April over allegations of negligence linked to Maradona's death during his two-week recovery at home.
Luque's defence team disputed the prosecution's interpretation of the medical evidence, arguing that clinical tests conducted before Maradona's surgery did not reveal any heart issues.
The court is now considering whether the medical professionals involved in Maradona's care failed to meet their responsibilities and whether such failures contributed to his death.
Luque's lawyers also attacked the conclusions of an interdisciplinary medical commission, which suggested that Maradona's history of heart problems should have been taken into account.
Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, died at the age of 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis accompanied by pulmonary oedema.
The death of Argentina's favorite footballing son plunged the country into mourning, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Luque maintained that the prosecution had failed to establish that Maradona's death was foreseeable, insisting that he cared deeply for the football icon and that he was his idol and friend.
What this adds
The court is still deliberating on the fate of the healthcare professionals involved in Maradona's care.
What's confirmed
- A lawyer for Leopoldo Luque, a doctor charged in the 2020 death of Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, said in closing arguments that his client was innocent and had been made a “scapegoat”.
- “Leopoldo Luque has been the scapegoat.” Maradona died at age 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis coupled with pulmonary oedema.
- Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, a neurosurgeon considered a key decision-maker for Maradona at the time of his death.
- “There was absolutely no possibility of predicting this fatal outcome,” Oneto insisted on Wednesday.
- Lawyer Roberto Rallin rejected the prosecution’s argument that Maradona’s November 2020 death was foreseeable, while another defence lawyer, Francisco Oneto, maintained that his death resulted from an “acute and unpredictable” heart attack.
- The commission, which based its findings on the autopsy and other information, said Maradona had a history of heart problems that should have been taken into account, a conclusion the prosecution emphasised.
- “I cared deeply for him, I loved him, he was my idol and my friend,” he said.
- “We are here to proclaim Luque’s innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it,” Rallin said.
- Another lawyer representing Luque, Francisco Oneto, argued that the football icon died from an “acute and unpredictable” heart attack, insisting that there was no way his client could have anticipated the fatal outcome.
- Seven healthcare professionals have been standing trial since April over allegations of negligence linked to Maradona’s death during his two weeks of recovery at home.
- His death plunged Argentina into profound national mourning at a time when the country was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
- “It’s so clear that Maradona didn’t have any heart problems in 2020,” Oneto said during the closing arguments, disputing the prosecution’s interpretation of the medical evidence.
What's still developing
- D’Albora argued that the doctors were responsible for ensuring the patient’s health and that their decisions played a significant role in the circumstances leading to his death.
- According to the prosecution, Luque’s attitude “was always to do nothing” despite indications that the patient required closer medical attention.
- The doctor who treated late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has denied responsibility for his death, describing himself as a “scapegoat” as his defence team presented its closing arguments in court.