New report casts doubt on pre-trial conclusions about Maradona’s death

Maradona died in November 2020. A short time before, he had been admitted to hospital, where he was operated on for a brain haemorrhage.

Argentine prosecutors have issued murder charges against eight medics for having contributed to the legend’s death. Among other things, it has been stated that the health personnel made no attempt to save Maradona’s life.

Maradona’s personal doctor Lepoldo Luque is among the eight defendants in the case. The new medical report, which was released on Monday by doctor Pablo Ferrari, was prepared on behalf of Luque.

In the report, Ferrari concludes that Maradona’s rapid heartbeat either had a natural explanation or stemmed from an “external” factor, possibly a substance such as cocaine. Maradona was known to have abused cocaine in the past.

Ferrari further writes that he has not been able to prepare a toxicology report based on Maradona’s insufficient urine sample.

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Disputing findings

The findings also contradict the results of a 20-member medical panel in 2021. They were appointed to investigate Maradona’s death.

In the report that emerged from that work, Maradona’s medical team was accused of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner” and that the football legend was left in pain and without help for more than 12 hours before his death.

However, Ferrari’s report disputed the severity of that episode, claiming that the arrhythmic heart rate could not have triggered pain for more than “a few minutes or at most a few hours”.

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– This marks a radical turn in the case, says lawyer Vadim Mischanchuk, who represents Maradona’s psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, to local media.

Cosachov is also a defendant in the case.

– The episode goes from being a cardiac event that lasted for many days to one that lasted for minutes, says Mischanchuk.

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Long prison terms?

The prosecution, for its part, criticizes the Ferrari report, which was compiled in 72 hours, accusing the doctor of neglecting four years of work in favor of “a minimal piece of evidence from the defense”.

– This is no turning point in the case, states the prosecution.

Alongside doctor Luque, charges have been brought against a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a doctor who coordinated Maradona’s home care, a head nurse, two nurses and a doctor in the case.

One of the accused nurses, Dahiana Gisela Madrid, said in a court hearing last summer that Maradona was neglected by his doctors.

The eight medics risk prison terms of eight to 25 years. The trial is set to start on June 4.