A lawyer for Leopoldo Luque, a doctor charged in the 2020 death of Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, said in closing arguments that his client was innocent and had been made a “scapegoat”. Lawyer Roberto Rallin rejected the prosecution’s argument that Maradona’s November 2020 death was foreseeable, while another defence lawyer, Francisco Oneto, maintained that his death resulted from an “acute and unpredictable” heart attack. Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, a neurosurgeon considered a key decision-maker for Maradona at the time of his death.
He was found dead in his bed at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, rented for his convalescence, following surgery for a subdural hematoma. The death of Argentina’s favourite son plunged the country into mourning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of people defied social distancing rules to bid farewell to him as he lay in state at the presidential palace.
A total of seven healthcare professionals have been on trial since April for potential negligence leading to the star’s death during his two weeks of convalescence. Prosecutors have requested sentences ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants. In its closing arguments, the prosecution condemned Luque’s “inaction”, saying his attitude “was always to do nothing” in the face of the warning signs that Maradona was exhibiting.
Luque’s lawyers particularly attacked the conclusions of the interdisciplinary medical commission, which had been established by the court in 2021 to provide an opinion on the star’s death. The commission, which based its findings on the autopsy and other information, said Maradona had a history of heart problems that should have been taken into account, a conclusion the prosecution emphasised. But Luque’s defence lawyers said clinical tests done in advance of Maradona’s surgery just before his death did not reveal any heart issues.
Throughout the trial, Luque was by far the most combative defendant, speaking several times when he felt he was being implicated. His legal team played audio recordings, presented scientific articles and even a video of Maradona’s autopsy, provoking the anger of the footballer’s daughters. Defence lawyer Nicolas D’Albora, who represents medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, also blamed Maradona’s demise on Luque and another doctor, saying they “were obliged to guarantee the patient’s health”.
Forlini faces a 10-year sentence for homicide with intent, for an alleged failure to provide basic medical equipment for home care. The defence closing arguments are expected to continue until Thursday.
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