Seven Medical Professionals Charged with Homicide in Death of Diego Maradona
Seven medical professionals were officially charged with “simple homicide with eventual intent” in the death of Diego Maradona, nearly six months after he died.
The soccer superstar died back in November, just two weeks following brain surgery. At the time, a heart attack was announced as the cause of death.
The prosecutors’ office in San Isidro, Argentina requested the seven individuals indicted not be permitted to leave the country. An investigation into Maradona’s death was opened days after his passing was revealed.
Leopoldo Luque, the neurosurgeon who performed the brain surgery, and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, who treated Maradona, are among those charged. The other five indicted include two nurses, a nurse coordinator, a doctor and a psychologist.
“The prosecutors’ office appointed a medical board to determine if there was evidence of culpable homicide from Maradona’s medical team,” ESPN reports.
The medical board says the medical team responsible for tending to Maradona prior to his death acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner” and also left him “to his own devices.”
Finally, “private conversations between doctors and people from Maradona’s entourage” leaked to the media and apparently Maradona was not “properly looked after prior to his death,” per ESPN.
Officially, Maradona’s autopsy revealed he died “in his sleep of acute pulmonary edema, a buildup of fluid in the lungs, because of congestive heart failure”.
There was no alcohol or illegal substances in his blood, however there were psychotropic drugs used to treat anxiety and depression present, according to the toxicology report.
The accused parties will reportedly begin to testify on May 31.
