In a significant development since the fire on New Year’s Eve in Europe, Swiss prosecutors have now called for the owners of “Le Constellation” bar in Crans-Montana to be formally indicted. The announcement has come as the nation suspends public offices, schools and businesses for a day of mourning over the 40 victims who died in the terrible fire. Local Swiss media have reported that one of the owners Jacques Moretti is being held in custody with authorities citing a risk that the owner could try to flee.
The inquiry is centered on the charges of manslaughter through negligence and arson. The tragedy has darkened the luxury ski resort for nearly two weeks, and families of the victims have demanded immediate accountability. As the Alpine country mourned the dead, attention focused on gross security failings, with allegations emerging that the venue had not been officially checked for fire safety in more than five years.
Owners Face Manslaughter Probe
Jacques and Jessica Moretti arrived alongside their lawyers at the prosecutor’s office in Sion via a back entrance on Friday morning, refusing to answer questions from waiting journalists. The couple have been questioned all day about how they managed the venue, and what precisely happened on New Year’s night. Jessica Moretti was given bail and allowed to leave after the questioning while her husband was returned to custody. Sources close to the case say he has a criminal record in France and “serious” potential charges played into the decision to keep him detained.
The legal battle boils down to the indoor use of pyrotechnics, which include sparklers affixed to champagne bottles. These were brandished near a basement ceiling covered with extremely flammable acoustic foam, witnesses say. The light so quick that many of the young revellers, teenagers as young as 14 years old, were unable to escape through the single, narrow exit. Prosecutors are currently deciding whether the owners’ decision to allow such exhibitions reflects a criminal disregard for human life.
Safety Lapses and Political Fallout
Earlier this week, the mayor of Crans-Montana acknowledged that the bar had failed several required safety inspections since 2019. This information has prompted demands for the inquiry to be widened and include local authorities who may have been negligent in their duty of care. Swiss President Guy Parmelin and regional leaders say the probe will be exhaustive and transparent.
Pressure is also being felt from European neighbours following the deaths of citizens from France, Italy and Britain. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in particular, has been vocal calling for “severe punishment” and even a ban on indoor sparklers in her own country to prevent another such disaster. At a somber ceremony in Martigny, on the banks of the river that raged through the tunnel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian President Sergio Mattarella stood beside Swiss officials for a minute of silence over an international tragedy here that has cost 40 lives, most of them teenagers.
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