Doctor's lawyer seeks acquittal in Maradona death trial, calls client a 'scapegoat'
Defence lawyers for neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque argued Wednesday that his client is innocent in Diego Maradona's 2020 death. Prosecutors are seeking a 12-year prison sentence for Luque.
Luque's lawyer denies guilt in Maradona death case, blames 'scapegoating'
The defence team for neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque declared him innocent in closing arguments Wednesday in the trial over the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, the Jamaica Observer reports.
Attorney Roberto Rallin rejected the prosecution's contention that Maradona's death was foreseeable. "We are here to proclaim Luque's innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it," Rallin told the court in San Isidro, Argentina. "Leopoldo Luque has been the scapegoat."
A second defence attorney, Francisco Oneto, argued that Maradona died of an "acute and unpredictable" heart attack and that "there was absolutely no possibility of predicting this fatal outcome."
Prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Luque — considered a key decision-maker in Maradona's care at the time of his death — to 12 years in prison. They condemned what they called his "inaction," arguing his attitude "was always to do nothing" in the face of warning signs Maradona was displaying.
Maradona was 60 when he was found dead in his bed at a rented residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, where he was recovering from surgery for a subdural haematoma. The cause of death was a cardiorespiratory crisis combined with pulmonary oedema.
Seven healthcare professionals in total have stood trial since April over alleged negligence during his two-week convalescence. Prosecutors have requested sentences ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants. Closing arguments for the defence are expected to continue through Thursday.
Source: Jamaica Observer