Maradona medical team faces request for up to 12 years

Argentine prosecutors are seeking prison terms of up to 12 years for members of Diego Maradona's medical team in the trial over his death.

The request came during closing arguments in the case against seven medical professionals accused of providing grossly inadequate care while Maradona recovered from brain surgery. The defendants, including Maradona's chief doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist and nurses, deny the charges.

Maradona died on Nov. 25, 2020, of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema at a rented home in Tigre, a Buenos Aires suburb, two weeks after surgery for a brain clot. He was 60.

Prosecutor Patricio Ferrai said the defendants' “chaotic organization” left Maradona “in a helpless situation, abandoning him to his fate.” He accused them of breaching their duties and failing to carry out required medical acts.

The defendants are charged with “dolo eventual,” a legal term meaning that a person is aware their actions could cause harm but persists anyway. The case has focused on whether allowing Maradona to recover in a private home instead of a hospital was negligent.

Prosecutors also pointed to what they described as the near-total absence of medical equipment, including a hospital bed, defibrillator or quickly available ambulance. Several medical experts testified that Maradona's carers failed to react to warning signs before his death, including edema, tachycardia and breathing difficulty.

Assistant prosecutor Cosme Iribarren said the signs of a fatal outcome had begun to appear long before Maradona died. Maradona's three daughters were in court for the start of the summation, which is expected to last about two weeks, with a verdict due later.

The first trial over Maradona's death was annulled last year after two and a half months of hearings, following revelations that one of the judges took part in a clandestine documentary about the case.