Lawyers for Crans-Montana fire victims demand tougher charges
Lawyers representing victims of the New Year's Eve 2025 tragedy at the Le Constellation bar in Switzerland are calling on prosecutors to upgrade charges against the owners, citing prior knowledge of fire risk.
Lawyers for Crans-Montana fire victims demand tougher charges
The owners of the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, face charges of manslaughter and negligent arson following the New Year's Eve 2025 tragedy that killed 41 people and injured more than a hundred. The lawyers representing the families of the victims are now calling on prosecutors to upgrade the charges, according to the Guardian.
The representatives of the victims claim that Jessica and Jacques Moretti, owners of the establishment, were already aware of the danger in 2019. A group WhatsApp conversation from that year is said to have been found in which the couple discussed the risk of sparklers igniting the ceiling's insulating foam. This is precisely what occurred on the evening of 31 December 2025.
According to one of the lawyers, "the Morettis knew that the bar could catch fire". He adds that they "were aware of the risk and accepted it". This prior awareness would justify, according to the complainants, charges more serious than simple negligence.
The lawyers for the owners have described these allegations as "absurd". They emphasised that Jacques Moretti was present on the night of the tragedy, which constitutes, in their view, "the best evidence" against the idea of conscious acceptance of mortal risk. His presence at the bar that evening would prove that he could not have anticipated such a danger.
Most of the victims of this fire were teenagers. The exact death toll remains uncertain: Swiss authorities have not released a definitive figure, whilst the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited 40 deaths. The judicial investigation continues at this winter complex in the Valais ski resort.
Source: 444