New testimony was heard in court in the case of the death of Diego Maradona. Seven doctors are accused in the death of the Argentine football legend, who passed away six years ago on November 25.
“In the last days of his life, his condition worsened. He did not get out of bed, did not want to eat, did not want to change clothes or wash. He did not even want a massage. I was there in case he called me, but he did not want anything,” said Nicolas Taffarel, a masseur who worked with the footballer in the last period of his life. Taffarel gave his testimony during one of the sessions of the trial in the case of Maradona’s death, which is taking place in San Isidro, a suburb of Buenos Aires.
Doctors reassured the masseur
According to Taffarel, the doctors assured him that everything would pass, and his concerns were ignored. “The doctors told me to be calm, that these things would pass. When you are nervous, you believe that everything will pass, that everything will be resolved. But this did not happen,” he summarized.
After the completion of the witness interrogations, Criminal Court No. 7 of San Isidro will receive the final conclusions of the medical commission in the coming days. The commission will determine whether the actions of the accused constitute abandonment in danger or medical negligence. After this, the final debates of the prosecution and defense will take place, and then the court will deliver the first instance verdict.
Course of the trial
The legal battle has been going on for almost six years. The prosecutor’s investigation began immediately after the footballer’s death. In 2021, the medical commission’s examination concluded that the medical care provided to Maradona was “inadequate, insufficient, and reckless”.
The charge is qualified as intentional murder with indirect intent (omicidio semplice con dolo eventuale), which carries a penalty of 8 to 25 years in prison. After the charges were brought, the trial began only in March 2025. However, two months after the start of the proceedings, it was declared invalid due to disputes and procedural violations related to one of the judges of the panel. The new trial began on April 14, with two sessions per week, and it has already heard 90 witnesses.
Source: La Repubblica
