The owner of the Swiss bar where a New Year's Eve fire killed 41 people has been taken into pre-trial detention, accused of domestic violence against his wife and business partner, according to local media reports on Sunday.
Jacques Moretti, a French national, and his wife Jessica have been under intense scrutiny since the early hours of 1 January, when a fire tore through their establishment, Le Constellation, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais. The blaze, which claimed the lives of mostly teenagers, also left 115 people injured.
The Morettis are among 16 individuals facing a criminal investigation into the fire. They are charged with manslaughter by negligence and arson by negligence. Now, Geneva-based broadcaster Léman Bleu has reported that Jacques Moretti was arrested and detained following an alleged violent incident against his wife earlier this month.
Alleged incident and legal response
According to the report, the incident occurred on the night of 11 August at the couple's home in the southwestern canton of Valais. The alleged assault was serious enough that Jessica Moretti required hospitalisation. Neither the public prosecutor's office nor the couple's lawyers responded immediately to requests for comment.
However, in a statement released on Sunday evening, the Morettis' lawyers addressed the report, stressing that the alleged events are being investigated as a separate case that pertains "exclusively to their private life." They added: "They should not be confused with the Constellation tragedy."
The lawyers did acknowledge that the reported events "nevertheless fall within a context that cannot be ignored: that of a particularly intense ordeal that the Morettis have been trying to face together since 1 January."
The case adds another layer of complexity to an already devastating tragedy that has shaken Switzerland and the wider Alpine region. The fire at Le Constellation is one of the deadliest in the country's recent history, prompting a national day of mourning and a thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze.
Authorities have not yet released official findings on how the fire started, but the investigation is ongoing. The detention of Jacques Moretti on domestic abuse charges is separate from the criminal proceedings related to the fire, but it may influence public perception and legal strategies as both cases proceed.
Swiss law allows for pre-trial detention when there is a risk of flight, collusion, or repetition of offences. The decision to hold Moretti suggests that the authorities consider the allegations serious enough to warrant such measures.
The case has also drawn attention to the pressures faced by the couple, who have been at the centre of a national tragedy. Their lawyers have previously indicated that the Morettis have been cooperating with investigators and have expressed their condolences to the victims' families.
As the legal processes unfold, the small mountain community of Crans-Montana continues to grapple with the aftermath of the fire. Memorials have been set up near the sealed-off bar, where mourners have left flowers and candles. The tragedy has also sparked broader discussions about fire safety in public venues across Switzerland, with calls for stricter regulations and enforcement.
For now, the focus remains on the victims and their families, while the judicial system works to determine accountability in both the fire and the domestic abuse case. The outcome of these proceedings will be closely watched, not only in Switzerland but across Europe, as they raise questions about negligence, responsibility, and the intersection of personal and public tragedy.
