Maradona trial halted over medical records error

The trial into the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has been temporarily suspended after a private healthcare provider admitted that medical tests belonging to Maradona had been mistakenly mixed with those of his father, who had the same first name.

Swiss Medical acknowledged in a letter that tests had been incorrectly recorded under the full name Diego Armando Maradona, although they actually belonged to two different people.

The error was uncovered by a defense lawyer and prompted the court to order the seizure of medical records and test results to determine the extent of the mix-up.

Trial expected to continue

The court has suspended proceedings for one week, although only Tuesday’s hearing was canceled, and said confirmation of the error would not invalidate other evidence concerning Maradona’s medical history or the conclusions of the multidisciplinary medical panel.

“The trial will proceed normally,” Marcelo D’Angelo, a lawyer representing Maradona’s daughter Giannina, told AFP.

He said the defense was confident the case would reach the same conclusions without relying on the findings of the nephrologist who had been misled by the records.

Seven health professionals on trial

Seven healthcare professionals, including a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist and nurses, are being retried over allegations of fatal negligence in Maradona’s care.

Maradona died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering at home following treatment.

The defendants face prison sentences of up to 25 years if convicted.

The latest disruption has raised concerns about the future of the proceedings, although neither side has so far sought to have the case dismissed.

The first trial was annulled in 2025 after two and a half months following a scandal involving a judge who was removed from the case after secretly participating in preparations for a documentary about the proceedings.

Source:AMNA