Football legend Diego Maradona "sometimes resisted" being treated by doctors, one of his sisters has admitted during the trial of seven professionals charged with responsibility for his death in November 2020.
Claudia and Ana, two of Maradona’s sisters, who are plaintiffs in the case, testified last Thursday in the fourth week of the trial unfolding in the northern Greater Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro, near Tigre, where the former football star died.
Claudia, the youngest of Maradona’s five sisters at 53, said that Diego "sometimes resisted" medical attention due to his "strong character."
Both she, and Ana, 74, agreed that her brother "did what he wanted."
Maradona died from a pulmonary oedema caused by cardiac insufficiency on November 25, 2020, while in house care after neurosurgery.
The sisters said that they participated in the decision to move Maradona to home care and Claudia pointed out that the specialists had told them that "there would be clinical doctors" and equipment to attend him.
Other witnesses at the trial have already testified that there were no ambulances nor appropriate medical equipment, such as a defibrillator, in the house where the idol died.
The sisters said that neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, one of the defendants in the case, was a doctor trusted by Maradona.
Ana said that the last time she saw her brother was when he was hospitalised at a clinic in nearby Olivos, some weeks before his death, and when she consulted him as to his health, he responded: "My soul aches."
Rita, another of Maradona's sisters, also testified Thursday. She said decisions concerning her brother's health were normally made by his daughters: Dalma, Gianinna and Jana.
“Dalma told us ‘You have nothing to do with it, we are three grown women and we are going to take care of my dad's health,” said Rita.
“We thought they were going to take care of him, the ambulances, the doctors, the equipment,” she said.
Accusations
Seven health professionals (doctors, nurses, a psychiatrist and a psychologist) are accused of homicide with possible malice aforethought, a charge implying awareness that their action or inaction could cause his death.
An eighth defendant – a female nurse – will be tried separately.
This trial, which began on March 11, will run at least until July with dozens of witnesses testifying. The defendants are risking prison sentences between eight and 25 years.
Pablo Jurado, the lawyer of the Maradona sisters, objected to some of the questions posed by other plaintiffs to the witnesses, pointing to contractual relationships between the ex-footballer and his sisters and disputes over control.
In Jurado’s view, the answers could affect the interests of his clients in another case, in which Maradona’s children are suing their aunts for the rights to the "Maradona brand."
The courtroom paid no heed to his protests and the sisters were obliged to respond.
The brands "are something which he left to us as a family," said Claudia, adding that before his death, Diego Maradona only "gave them presents."
Verónica Ojeda, the mother of the late footballer’s youngest child, is due to testify next Tuesday.
– TIMES/AFP
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