Latest news with #Gianinna
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Straits Times
Mistrial ruled in case against Diego Maradona's medical team, lawyers say
Gianinna and Dalma Maradona - daughters of late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona - arriving at the San Isidro court on May 29. PHOTO: REUTERS Mistrial ruled in case against Diego Maradona's medical team, lawyers say BUENOS AIRES - The homicide case against Diego Maradona's medical team has been declared a mistrial, their lawyers said on May 29. The 2020 death of the soccer star who led the Argentine team to World Cup victory from heart failure while he was recovering from surgery shook the nation. Seven members of his medical team were charged with negligent homicide in a trial that began on March 11. The defendants have denied the charges of "simple homicide with eventual intent" in Maradona's treatment. They were facing prison sentences of between eight and 25 years. The date for the new trial was not initially announced and new judges were not nominated. The May 29 decision came after one of three judges in the case, Judge Julieta Makintach, resigned on May 27 in the face of allegations of an ethical breach. Video surfaced showing her apparently being interviewed by a camera crew as part of a documentary in the corridors of the Buenos Aires courthouse and in her office, which breached judicial rules. "This is all a great embarrassment," defence attorney Miguel Angel Pierri told media outside the courthouse. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Diego Maradona's homicide trial declared invalid, says local media
Gianinna and Dalma Maradona, daughters of late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, arrive at the San Isidro court before a hearing to determine the future of soccer legend Diego Maradona's trial, after one of the three presiding judges stood down from the case amid accusations of ethical breaches, in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
Al Jazeera
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Argentinian judge withdraws from a negligence trial about Maradona's death
One of the three judges presiding over a negligence trial related to the death of Argentinian football player Diego Maradona has resigned, leaving the case's future uncertain. On Tuesday, Judge Julieta Makintach announced she would recuse herself after reports emerged that she had participated in a documentary about Maradona's death and its aftermath. 'This is a judicial tragedy,' said Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona's eldest daughters, Dalma and Gianinna. Judges are largely forbidden from taking part in interviews and other public commentary while proceedings are ongoing. Since March 11, Makintach has been part of a three-judge panel weighing the fate of seven healthcare workers who tended to Maradona during his final days. The seven have been charged with negligent homicide following Maradona's death by cardiac arrest in 2020 at age 60. It is a high-profile case that has stirred a great deal of scrutiny in Argentina. Maradona is a national hero, having led the national football squad to a World Cup victory in 1986. His performance in that year's World Cup tournament has since become the stuff of sporting legend. Even a foul he committed during the quarterfinal has been dubbed the 'Hand of God', since it led to an Argentinian victory over England – a rival with whom the country had an ongoing territorial dispute. In 2000, the football governing body, FIFA, named Maradona one of its two 'Players of the Century', alongside Brazil's Pele. But Maradona struggled with addiction, and he passed away shortly after undergoing brain surgery for a blood clot. The circumstances of his death, in turn, led to questions about whether the football player received adequate medical care in his final days. The seven defendants include a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, nurses and other healthcare professionals who attended to him. They face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. An eighth person is expected to face court separately. More than 190 witnesses are expected to testify against the seven main defendants. One coroner already told the court in March that Maradona's death 'was foreseeable' and that the football player likely died in 'agony'. But the trial was brought to a halt last week when one of the key defendants, Leopoldo Luque, called for Judge Makintach to be removed from the bench. Luque was a neurosurgeon and a personal doctor to Maradona when he died. Luque's lawyer, Julio Rivas, told the court that his client had been approached by the BBC, a British news company, to take part in the documentary. Through that interaction, Rivas explained they found out that the documentary's production company had ties to Judge Makintach's brother, Juan Makintach. Police also indicated that they had seen a camera in the courtroom, allegedly approved by Judge Makintach. On May 20, prosecutor Patricio Ferrari called for the trial to be paused for a week while the incident was reviewed. Footage was presented to the court from the documentary, showing the start of the trial. It appeared to feature the judge as a central figure. Judge Makintach has denied wrongdoing. But Ferrari argued, 'The situation compromises the prestige of the judiciary.' It is unclear whether a new judge will replace Makintach in the coming months.
