Prosecutors in Maradona death trial seek sentences up to 12 years

What the report says

Argentine prosecutors have asked for prison terms of up to 12 years for seven medical professionals on trial over the death of football great Diego Maradona, according to Al Jazeera. The closing arguments were delivered on Thursday at a court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, where the case has been heard since April.

The defendants include Maradona’s personal doctor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, nurses and care coordinators. Prosecutors argue the team provided seriously inadequate treatment while Maradona was recovering at a private home in Tigre after surgery for a brain clot. Maradona died in November 2020 from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, at age 60.

In the prosecution’s view, the medical team’s decisions and lack of supervision left him in a vulnerable state and ignored warning signs such as swelling, rapid heartbeat and breathing problems. They also pointed to the absence of basic medical support at the house, including equipment that might normally be available for a patient under close medical care. The defendants deny wrongdoing and say the death could not have been predicted.

The case matters because it examines whether those responsible for Maradona’s care acted with criminal negligence in the final days of one of Argentina’s most famous sports figures. Al Jazeera reported that the next phase of the summation is expected to take about two weeks, with a verdict due later.