Neurosurgeon Luque distances himself from responsibility in Maradona death trial
Leopoldo Luque, the principal accused in the death of Diego Maradona in 2020, told the court that his role was limited to neurosurgery. Closing arguments are set to begin next week.
Luque before the court: "I was conducting neurosurgery follow-up, I did not coordinate the home hospitalisation"
According to mcall.com, Leopoldo Luque, the neurosurgeon identified as the principal person responsible for the death of Diego Maradona in 2020, presented his final witness statement before the court trying him in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. Luque maintained that his role was confined exclusively to neurosurgery and that it was not his responsibility to supervise the general clinical state of the former footballer during the home hospitalisation in which he died.
Maradona, former captain of the Argentine national team that won the World Cup in 1986, died at age 60 from heart failure whilst recovering in a rented residence. The star had undergone surgery two weeks before his death to remove a subdural haematoma.
The dispute between the accused
Luque's statement was a direct response to the assertions of Pedro Di Spagna, another of the seven healthcare professionals prosecuted in the case. Di Spagna had identified Luque as the "treating physician" who closely supervised the health of the former player.
"I was conducting neurosurgery follow-up, I did not coordinate the home hospitalisation. I am not a clinician, nor a psychologist nor a psychiatrist," Luque told the court in response to questions from his lawyers. The neurosurgeon also distanced himself from the work of the nurses who were to assist Maradona, indicating that they were assigned by a private medicine company—one of whose employees is among the defendants.
Di Spagna, for his part, said he had "a clear conscience" regarding his work as a consulting physician. "I feel that humanely and medically I did what I was asked to do; overstepping would have been unethical… I did not take photos with the patient nor speak in the press about him," he said, in an implicit reference to the public relationship that Luque maintained with the former footballer.
Di Spagna also explained that his role consisted of suggesting complementary studies, without intervening in the decisions of the professionals who treated Maradona regularly. He recounted that on 18 November 2020—seven days before the idol's death—he returned to the residence with a nutritionist, but was unable to examine the patient: according to his testimony, it was Luque himself who informed them that it was not possible to see him.
Conditions of hospitalisation questioned
During the judicial process, members of Maradona's family stated that the residence where the former player remained hospitalised lacked adequate medical equipment and appropriate sanitary conditions.
The seven defendants—among them psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Díaz, physician Nancy Forlini, nursing company representative Mariano Perroni and nurse Ricardo Almirón—face charges of simple homicide with eventual intent. This criminal charge applies when the defendant knows that his or her conduct may cause harm and continues with it regardless; the maximum penalty provided for is 25 years' imprisonment.
Next steps
The court, made up of three judges, will begin hearing closing arguments from the prosecution, the complainant and the defence next week in the final stage of proceedings.
AP journalist Almudena Calatrava contributed to this report.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires