Jacques Moretti held in custody – allegation of assault against wife
Jacques Moretti, bar owner from Crans-Montana, is reportedly in custody in connection with an alleged attack on his wife Jessica. The Valais prosecutor's office has declined to comment.
Moretti arrest: domestic violence allegations in Valais
Jacques Moretti, operator of the bar Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, is apparently in custody according to Blick. The Corsican is allegedly to have physically attacked his wife Jessica Moretti in their shared home in Valais during the night of 11 to 12 August. This was initially reported by Léman Bleu and RTS.
The arrest has not been officially confirmed. The General Prosecutor's Office of the Canton of Valais declined to comment to Blick regarding the alleged arrest.
According to reports, Jessica's injuries are said to have been so serious that hospitalisation was necessary. What exactly occurred that night remains unclear. No previous convictions for similar offences are known against Moretti.
Legal team issues statement
On Sunday evening, the Morettis' legal team released a statement: "The recent reports in some media outlets and the enquiries directed at us prompt us to address once again the events that recently occurred in the Moretti couple's home." The incidents concerned solely their private life, which is why they would not take a substantive position.
The lawyers also emphasised that the current events should not be confused with the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, but were connected to "a situation that cannot be ignored" – namely a "particularly severe trial that the Morettis have been attempting to face together since 1 January". The investigations into the allegations of domestic violence are being conducted as a separate proceeding, independent of the fire investigation.
Jacques Moretti is presumed innocent.
Restaurants remain closed
Meanwhile, the Morettis' businesses in the region remain closed. A few months ago, the restaurant operators had announced plans to reopen the restaurant Senso in Crans-Montana and Le Vieux Chalet in Lens – partly in order to be able to meet any compensation claims. When Blick checked on the ground on Friday, there was no sign of these plans. The bar Senso has remained visually unchanged since its closure more than half a year ago; in Lens too there are no indications of an imminent reopening.
Source: Blick