Crans-Montana fire: Moretti questioned alone, wife's hearing postponed due to psychological fragility
Jacques Moretti, owner of the Constellation bar, was questioned on Monday by the Valais public prosecutor's office. The hearing of his wife Jessica has been postponed for reasons of psychological health.
Hearing postponed for reasons of health
Jacques Moretti was due to appear on Monday 2 November alongside his wife Jessica as part of the investigation into the fire at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which killed 41 people on New Year's Eve, 31 December. According to TF1 Info, only Jacques Moretti was questioned. The Valais prosecutors postponed the interrogation of Jessica Moretti on medical recommendation.
Jessica Moretti's lawyers, Yaël Hayat and Nicola Meier, presented a certificate from a psychologist-psychotherapist describing "a state of particularly significant psychological fragility". The specialist recommended postponing the hearing, considering that a "direct confrontation" with her husband "currently appears contraindicated", owing to the risk of "acute psychological decompensation".
Provisional detention for domestic violence
Jacques Moretti remains in provisional detention since mid-August for alleged violence towards his wife at their home. He had previously spent fourteen days in detention from 9 to 23 January in the Constellation bar fire case. Another hearing of the couple is scheduled for 2 December.
17 people being prosecuted
The criminal investigation now targets seventeen people in total: the Moretti couple, eight elected or former municipal officials, and seven employees or former employees of municipal services. All are being prosecuted for "homicide through negligence, bodily injury through negligence and fire through negligence". The investigation concerns the responsibility of the municipal authorities and the couple in the disaster which also resulted in 115 injured.
Source: TF1 Info