Argentina kicked off a long-awaited trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona on Tuesday.
The court case accuses seven medical professionals of negligence when Maradona went into cardiac arrest near Buenos Aires on November 25, 2020.
They risk prison terms of between eight and 25 years if convicted on the charge of “homicide with possible intent.”
The 1986 World Cup winner’s family were present in the courtroom on Tuesday. His oldest daughters, Dalma and Giannina, sat in the front row near Veronica Ojeda, the footballer’s former partner, and Jana, another of his daughters.
Outside the court, fans held up signs in support of the late Maradona, including “Justice for D10S,” a nickname based on his shirt number and the Spanish word for god.
Maradona died in 2020 at the age of 60. He was recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot after decades battling cocaine and alcohol addictions.
Among the accused are a psychiatrist, a psychologist , a doctor, a nurse, a chief nurse and a clinical physician. All seven reject the allegations of negligence.
“There are more than enough elements to prove that Diego was not treated properly,” said Mario Baudry, lawyer for one of Maradona’s sons.
However, the lawyer for one of the defendants said that Maradona’s death was due to an “unforeseeable” cardiac arrest and that his home hospitalization had been agreed between doctors and Maradona’s family.
The hearings are expected to run until July, when an eighth member of the medical team will also face a trial by jury. – Euronews.
