Maradona Death Trial Verdict Due December 22 After Six Months of Hearings
A Buenos Aires court will deliver its verdict on December 22 in the trial of seven healthcare professionals accused of negligence in Diego Maradona's 2020 death.
Verdict date set in Maradona negligence trial
A court in San Isidro, Argentina, has set December 22 as the date for delivering its verdict in the trial over the 2020 death of football legend Diego Maradona, manilatimes.net reports. The announcement came Thursday after six months of hearings involving seven healthcare professionals accused of negligence.
The trial concluded Thursday with brief closing statements from Maradona's daughter Dalma and several of the defendants. "I hope my father receives the justice he deserves — like anyone else," Dalma said, her voice breaking.
The lead defendant, Dr. Leopoldo Luque, Maradona's primary physician, declared his innocence. "I am innocent," Luque told the court. His defence attorneys had argued in closing arguments Wednesday that Maradona's death was not foreseeable, describing their client as a "scapegoat."
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, aged 60, from heart failure combined with pulmonary edema. He was found dead in bed at a rented residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, where he had been recovering from minor neurosurgery. His death sent Argentina into mourning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of between four and twelve years for six of the seven defendants. The heaviest term — 12 years — has been requested for Luque.
Source: Jamaica Observer