An Argentine court declared this Thursday the nullity of the trial against seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of Diego Armando Maradona, in a new dramatic turn in the case that has kept the nation and the world of football in suspense for more than two months.
The judges determined that a new trial will be held, without specifying the date.This surprising decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial resigned following criticism of her participation in a documentary about the case, “Divine Justice”, which covers from Maradona’s death to the beginning of the trial.
The trailer for the documentary, lasting a minute and a half, interspersed archival footage of Maradona scoring goals with shots of Judge Julieta Makintach walking through the courtroom. The prosecutor requested that Makintach’s alleged role in authorizing the filming of the documentary during the trial be investigated.
As the documentary turned into a national scandal, Makintach stated on Tuesday that he had “no other option” but to resign from the case.
As a result, the judges decided on Thursday to restart the entire case, turning back the clock on all proceedings from March 11, when the trial began amid intense media attention and summoned dozens of witnesses to testify.
The footballer’s ex-partner spoke to the media after the lawyers informed reporters outside the court that the case had been declared null: “I am sad because this means that five years of work have gone to waste,” said Verónica Ojeda, in tears. “They made fun of us.”
Thursday’s decision cast doubt on the trial’s schedule, which was initially expected to last until July. The judicial panel reported that a higher court would select the three new judges by lottery.
The case accuses Maradona’s medical team of not providing him with adequate care in the weeks leading up to November 25, 2020, when, at the age of 60, Maradona died of a heart attack while recovering from surgery for a blood clot in his brain. The defendants in the case include Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s main doctor at the time of his death, as well as his psychologist, psychiatrist, medical coordinator, and nurses. All deny the charges and claim that Maradona was a difficult patient who did not allow himself to be treated.I trust that we could have a sentence by the end of the year.
Fernando Burlando, lawyer for Dalma and Gianinna Maradona, the daughters of the football star.
Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, is considered one of the best footballers of all time. In his country, his compatriots venerate him as a national hero.This is a great shame.
Miguel Angel Pierri, defense attorney, to the media outside the courthouse.
