Diego Maradona's body 'must be conserved,' rules Argentina court in paternity case

An Argentine court on Wednesday ruled that the body of deceased football icon Diego Maradona “must be conserved” in case his DNA samples are needed in an ongoing paternity case. Maradona passed away after a cardiac arrest on 25 November. He was 60. The court was responding to a lawsuit filed by a 25-year-old woman, Magalí Gil, who says Maradona could be her father. He had two daughters from a marriage. After his divorce, he recognised the paternity of six more children. According to reports, Gil, who was adopted, says her birth mother contacted her two years ago to say that her father “may be Diego Maradona”. Maradona, considered the finest footballer of his generation and one of the finest to have ever played the game, was buried in a private cemetery near Buenos Aires. A court ruled on 30 November that his body should not be cremated until all necessary forensic tests had been carried out. Wednesday’s ruling has extended that ban for the near future. The ruling from the National Court of First Instance in Civil Matters No 56 also said, “Ms. Gil requests that a study be carried out … and that for this purpose the acting prosecutor’s office send a DNA sample.”