A mistrial has been declared in the case against Diego Maradona’s former medical team, after it was revealed that one of the three judges presiding over the case had taken part in a documentary about it. The trial, which started on 11 March, will now begin again.
Context
Maradona died of heart failure in November 2020 at the age of 60, following surgery for a blood clot on his brain.
His seven-person medical team is on trial for homicide by negligence. If found guilty, they could be imprisoned for up to 25 years. They have rejected the charges, claiming the former football star refused treatment.
What happened
Judge Julieta Makintach stepped down from the case on Tuesday after a prosecutor revealed in court that she had participated in a documentary about the trial.
Makintach said she had “no choice” but to step down after facing heavy criticism.
On Thursday, the court declared a mistrial. Judge Maximiliano Savarino said: “Judge Makintach did not act impartially. Her conduct caused harm to both the plaintiffs and the defence.”
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Maradona’s career
Maradona is a national hero in Argentina for his rare talents as a footballer. As a player, he made his debut for the national team at the age of 16 and scored 259 goals in 491 matches across international and domestic football.
He is most revered for leading Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup. This tournament was also where he scored the ‘Hand of God’ goal — a controversial goal in the quarter-final against England, where he jumped for a header and punched the ball towards goal.
He later said about the goal: "A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God"
He also played football for Italian club Napoli and Spanish club Barcelona.
What’s next
It’s unclear when the trial will re-commence. The bench for the new trial will be selected by lottery from a pool of judges.
