Diego Maradona Cause of Death: 8 Doctors, Nurses Going to Trial in Argentina for Homicide Charges

By Rick Martin First Posted: Jun 23, 2022 08:55 PM EDT

An Argentina court is investigating eight people regarding the death of soccer legend and World Cup winner Diego Maradona.

Previously, it was thought that Maradona died of natural causes, as his death last November 2020 was ruled as a heart attack. However, the court is investigating whether foul play was involved.

The eight people that the court is investigating include Diego Maradona's former doctors and nurses, as well as a psychologist.

According to Reuters, an investigation into his death was launched in 2021, and the results have been released. The 236-page document revealed that the behaviors of each of the accused led and contributed to Maradona's heart attack. The investigation's findings conclude that the doctors, nurses, and psychologist who cared for Maradona are accused of "simple homicide." This means that they had the intent to kill the soccer legend.

The medical board tasked with investigating Maradona's death also concluded that the medical team's actions were "inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner," according to another report by Reuters.

Diego Maradona Was in a Helpless Situation at the Time of His Death, Says His Son's Lawyer

Mario Baudry, a lawyer representing one of Diego Maradona's sons, recently told Reuters that one of soccer's greatest players was "in a situation of helplessness" at the time of his death. He added that he knew it was a homicide as soon as he saw the cause.

Diego Maradona wasn't just a soccer legend in Argentina; he was practically a national hero, called D10s as a play between his jersey number (10) and the Spanish word for God, Dios. This is also a reference to the "Hand of God" incident during the quarter-finals match against England during the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The incident where Maradona used his hand to score an important goal for Argentina was ruled legal because the referees did not have a clear view of his hand touching the ball. Maradona would then lead Argentina to a World Cup in the final match of the tournament.

So when he died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, prosecutors in the country launched investigations shortly after his death. Searches were ordered, including the house of his personal doctor.

All Eight Defendants Deny Responsibility in the Death of Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona's neurosurgeon and personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque; psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov; psychologist Carlos Diaz; nurses Gisella Madrid, and Ricardo Almiron; their boss Mariano Perroni; and doctors Pedro Di Spagna and Nancy Forlini were all named as the co-defendants responsible for Maradona's death. However, all eight denied any responsibility, and the lawyers for some of them have requested the case to be dismissed.

According to ESPN, Vadim Mischanchuk, who represents one of the defendants, Cosachov, said they are currently appealing the decision. He added that his client is a psychiatrist, and his area of care had no relation to Maradona's cause of death.

The lawyers of the other defendants could not be immediately reached.

According to Argentina's penal code, the crime of "simple homicide" carries a sentence of 8 to 25 years. There is still no set date as to when the trial will begin as of writing.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Eight doctors and nurses who cared for Diego Maradona face homicide charges after his death - from Sky Sports News