By Cecilia Domínguez, CNN
(CNN) — A new trial to determine who bears responsibility for the death of football icon Diego Maradona has started in Argentina under public scrutiny, nearly a year after the original case ended in a mistrial.
Maradona, one of the most influential and charismatic footballers in history, died from heart failure on November 25, 2020, while under home care in Buenos Aires province, two weeks after undergoing surgery for a subdural hematoma in his brain. His death shocked the world, prompting thousands of fans to mobilize globally and demand justice.
The previous trial over his death, which lasted almost three months, was annulled after Judge Julieta Makintach was disqualified over alleged bias and for purportedly authorizing individuals close to her to record the hearings for a documentary.
“We hope the court will rise to the occasion, that it will understand the gravity of the crime under investigation, what they have to judge, and above all, what Diego represented for Argentinians and for the world of football,” said Mario Baudry, lawyer for the footballer’s youngest son Diego Fernando Maradona.
Who are the defendants?
Seven medical professionals – including psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychologist Carlos Díaz – have been accused of negligence in Maradona’s death. All have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter with implied malice. If convicted, they face sentences ranging from eight to 25 years in prison.
Defense attorneys have denied that Maradona’s medical team committed malpractice, arguing that the footballer was suffering a series of medical problems before he died.
“We started this trial to demonstrate the absence of criminal responsibility in each of the seven defendants, because it is clear that there was no intentional criminal plan to kill Maradona,” said Vadim Mischanchuk, defense attorney for Cosachov.
Meanwhile, Baudry said he hopes the defendants are found guilty, regardless of the sentence they receive. “And I hope the judges are severe with Luque, Cosachov and Díaz, those ultimately responsible. They failed to do what they were supposed to do as medical professionals and with the responsibility they had assumed,” he said.
An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, requested a jury trial and will be tried in a separate proceeding that has not yet been scheduled.
The bench under public scrutiny
Judges Alberto Gaig, Alberto Ortolani and Pablo Rolón will preside over the new trial at a court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires. They’ll hear testimony from approximately 100 witnesses, evaluate evidence and ultimately deliver a verdict.
“I think the entire San Isidro judiciary will be under scrutiny in this trial,” Baudry said, referring to the scandal that marked the end of last year’s trial.
Although the former judge denied the accusations and claimed no connection to the production of a six-part documentary titled “Divine Justice,” the scandal was so big that she faced impeachment proceedings, resulting in her removal from office in November.
Nicolás D’Álbora, lawyer for medical c