Trial continues in Buenos Aires over Maradona’s death
BOGOTA, Colombia
An Argentine court on Thursday declared a mistrial in the high-profile case involving seven health professionals accused of criminal negligence in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona.
The ruling came after Julieta Makintach, one of the three judges presiding over the case, recused herself following criticism regarding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the proceedings.
Her recusal compelled the court to declare the entire trial null and void, effectively resetting all proceedings in a case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care during his final days.
"The reasons that led to Dr. Makintach's recusal led us to declare this oral trial null and void," stated Judge Maximiliano Savarino, justifying a decision that effectively concluded a two-and-a-half-month judicial process spanning 21 hearings, during which over 40 witnesses, including Maradona's three daughters, provided testimony.
The judge said Makintach's actions compromised "the objectivity and impartiality of the court," thereby infringing on the parties' right to a trial by neutral judges. As a result, the court must now select a new tribunal, a process that could delay the trial's resumption by several months.
Makintach denied any wrongdoing, though she acknowledged that unauthorized individuals recording the events were personal acquaintances.
She stated that she had "no choice" but to withdraw from the case after prosecutors presented a teaser trailer for a documentary titled "Divine Justice." The film, which traces the aftermath of Maradona's death at 60, prominently features Makintach as a main protagonist.
"A new trial is necessary. Sometimes you have to take one step back in order to take two steps forward," stated Patricio Ferrari, one of the case's prosecutors.
The prosecution's request for a mistrial was supported by all parties involved, except two of the seven defense attorneys, who had advocated for merely replacing the judge and continuing the existing trial.
Maradona, who famously led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, died on November 25, 2020, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, just days after undergoing brain surgery. Prosecutors contend that his death was not inevitable and would have been avoided had he received proper care from the accused healthcare professionals.
