BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — During a negligence trial on Tuesday, one of Diego Maradona’s daughters publicly criticized neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, who was regarded as her father’s primary doctor at the time of his passing.
Gianinna Maradona provided testimony in a courtroom in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, where seven medical professionals face allegations of negligence related to her father’s 2020 death.
“I was infuriated to hear on television that he claimed he wasn’t my father’s doctor, refusing to take any responsibility,” Gianinna Maradona stated.
The current trial follows a mistrial declared last May after Julieta Makintach, one of the three judges overseeing the case, resigned amid backlash over her involvement in a related documentary.
The accusations against Maradona’s medical team center around their alleged failure to provide proper care in the weeks leading up to his death at a residence near Buenos Aires. Maradona, aged 60, passed away from cardiac arrest while recovering from surgery for a brain blood clot.
The defendants, who maintain their innocence, have been charged with culpable homicide, a charge akin to involuntary manslaughter, suggesting they were aware of the risks posed by their alleged negligent actions yet chose to ignore them.
According to Gianinna Maradona, Luque, along with psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Díaz, bore responsibility for her father’s health during his home confinement, where she claimed his condition worsened daily without apparent intervention.
In response, Luque’s defense team argues that Gianinna and her sister Dalma, Maradona’s eldest daughters from his union with Claudia Villafañe, failed to act promptly to address their father’s deteriorating health throughout his prolonged illness.