️ Argentine prosecutors have launched a scathing attack at the start of a new trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona, labeling his medical team a 'bunch of amateurs' who missed a chance to save his life. Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari told the court that Maradona was cared for by individuals who committed 'all kinds of omissions', resulting in conditions he described as 'cruel'.
️ Maradona died in November 2020 at age 60 while recovering from surgery for a brain clot. His medical team – including doctors, psychologists, and nurses – is accused of gross negligence causing his death during home convalescence. The trial resumed after the original proceedings were sensationally annulled following two and a half months of hearings, due to revelations that a presiding judge participated in a clandestine documentary about the case.
️ Prosecutor Ferrari asserted: 'Diego Maradona began to die 12 hours before his actual death. Anyone who thought to transfer him to a clinic in a car or ambulance during his last week would have saved his life'. Maradona succumbed to heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks post-surgery.
️ The courtroom was packed with Maradona's daughters Dalma, Gianinna, and Jana, along with his former partner Veronica Ojeda. Ojeda expressed trust in the judiciary, stating, 'That's what we all need: justice for Diego. We want to live in peace and for Diego to rest in peace'. Outside, about 50 people with Argentine flags and signs demanding justice for 'D10s' – a nod to Maradona's #10 jersey and 'Dios' (God) – gathered in support.
️ The new trial, set to conclude in July at the earliest, will hear from approximately 120 witnesses. The defendants face prison terms of eight to 25 years if convicted of homicide with possible intent. Lawyer Fernando Burlando, representing Maradona's daughters, displayed a stethoscope as a symbol of medical negligence, claiming it was never used on Maradona's chest in the two weeks before his death. The defense argues that Maradona died of natural causes due to a progressive decline in his health.
Source: www.aljazeera.com