Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari requested a 12-year prison sentence for neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque during closing arguments in the trial concerning the death of Diego Maradona. Following more than 40 hearings and 103 testimonies, prosecutors detailed how the former Argentina star was allegedly left in total abandonment within an ill-equipped suburban residence, facing charges of simple homicide with eventual dolus.
The San Isidro Closing Arguments and The 12-Year Demand
The final phase of the high-profile judicial proceedings opened at the Tribunal of San Isidro with the stark accusation delivered by prosecutor Patricio Ferrari. After examining over 100 testimonies since April, the prosecution asserted that Diego Maradona was treated as a ticking time bomb before being transferred to a rented home in the San Andrés neighborhood of Tigre, where he died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60. The primary target of the state’s legal action, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, faces a requested 12-year prison term. Sportmediaset noted that Luque led the medical team tasked with overseeing the iconic player’s post-operative recovery following a procedure to remove a subdural hematoma.
Prosecutors argued that Luque’s actions constituted simple homicide with eventual dolus, a charge amplified by his professional medical standing and personal bond with the patient.
Contrasting Penalties Across the Medical Team
While the state sought a 12-year sentence for the lead neurosurgeon, the prosecution outlined distinct tiers of culpability for the remaining defendants involved in Maradona’s home hospitalization. Le autorità giudiziarie hanno dettagliato le richieste di condanna presentate al tribunale nei confronti dei diversi professionisti coinvolti nella cura.
- Leopoldo Luque (Neurosurgeon): 12 years requested for simple homicide with eventual dolus.
- Nancy Forlini (Swiss Medical Coordinator) & Agustina Cosachov (Psychiatrist): 8 years requested each for simple homicide.
- Carlos Diaz (Psychologist): 5 years requested for involuntary manslaughter.
- Ricardo Almiron (Nurse) & Mariano Perroni (Nursing Coordinator): 4 years requested each for involuntary manslaughter.
- Pedro Di Spagna (Clinical Physician): Recommended for full acquittal, with prosecutor Ferrari noting he was the sole practitioner who fulfilled his duties without possessing decision-making power over the patient’s living conditions.
The Complete Absence of Emergency Equipment
Ferrari directed the court’s attention to the physical conditions inside the Tigre residence, describing a sparse environment devoid of basic medical infrastructure. According to the prosecution’s remarks, the house lacked fundamental supplies required for a patient with complex clinical needs. “There were no gloves, gauze, intravenous drips, a first-aid kit, a defibrillator, an ambulance, or anything of what they had promised,” Ferrari stated during his presentation. “It was absolute emptiness, that house had nothing.”
An interdisciplinary medical commission established in 2021 concluded that Maradona was a patient burdened with severe, complex medical pathologies rather than a healthy individual who suffered a sudden collapse. Deputy prosecutor Cosme Iribarren reinforced these findings by reviewing Maradona’s medical history and referencing photographic evidence of the player’s body presented to the court.
Defendants Deny Criminal Responsibility as Trial Nears Final Arguments
Attorneys representing the seven defendants maintain that their clients bear no individual criminal responsibility for the fatal outcome, arguing that clinical complications fell outside their specific professional specializations and contracted roles. With the public ministry’s requisitories concluded, the trial moves next to presentations from civil plaintiffs’ lawyers before the defense teams present their final arguments.
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