Among the eight suspects charged with a crime that in Argentina carries a prison sentence of eight to 25 years, the neurosurgeon and personal doctor of the former football player Leopoldo Luque, the psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and the psychologist Carlos Díaz stand out.
Eight people who nursed football legend Diego Armando Maradona will face charges in Argentine courts for manslaughter, according to a ruling released this Wednesday following an investigation into his death in November 2020 from cardiac arrest.
In the 236-page document accessed by the Reuters agency, the judge in charge of the case states “the conduct – actively or through negligence – of each of the defendants who led to and contributed to the establishment of the harmful result.”
According to the ruling, eight people, including doctors, nurses and a psychologist who were treating Maradona at the time of his death, are charged with “simple manslaughter,” a serious charge involving intentional killing.
A medical board appointed to investigate Maradona’s death concluded in 2021 that the football star’s medical team acted “inappropriately, flawed and recklessly”.
Maradona is considered one of the greatest footballers in history, although the little player nicknamed “Fluff” for his long hair and “D10S” as a play on the Spanish words for “God” with his jersey number, struggled with drugs and drink. which I abused for years.
Mario Baudry, a lawyer for one of Maradona’s sons, told Reuters the World Cup winner was “in a defenseless situation” at the time of his death. Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60. “As soon as I saw the cause, I said it was murder. I fought for a long time and here we are, now that this stage has been completed,” he said.
Argentine prosecutors began an investigation at a house near Buenos Aires shortly after Maradona’s death, including ordering the search of his personal doctor’s belongings and investigating others involved in his care.
The suspects in the ruling are Maradona’s neurosurgeon and personal physician Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Díaz, nurses Gisella Madrid and Ricardo Almiron, their boss Mariano Perroni and doctors Pedro Di Spagna and Nancy Forlini.
The suspects have denied responsibility for Maradona’s death. The judge said lawyers for some of them had asked for the case to be dropped.
Vadim Mischanchuk, Cosachov’s lawyer, said they would appeal the decision, adding that the psychiatrist’s area of concern had nothing to do with Maradona’s cause of death. “A culprit is sought at all costs and objectivity is lost,” said the lawyer.
Reuters could not immediately reach the defendants or the other lawyers for comment. The offense of “simple homicide” in Argentina usually carries a prison sentence of eight to 25 years, depending on the country’s criminal code. There is no set date for the trial yet.
Source: La Verdad
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