While the owner of the Constellation has been placed in pretrial detention, his partner and co-manager has spoken publicly for the first time since the tragedy that claimed the lives of 40 people and injured more than a hundred others on New Year's Eve. Jessica Moretti addressed a statement to the victims' families and the media, expressing her regret and her grief at the scale of the tragedy.
Upon leaving her hearing before the Valais public prosecutor in Sion, she said she was deeply affected by the fire and offered her apologies to the victims and their families. "My thoughts are constantly with the victims and those who are fighting today. It's an unimaginable tragedy."she said, before adding: "We never, ever could have imagined this. It happened in our establishment, and I want to apologize."His words were spoken with emotion in the presence of journalists, while the ceremony honoring the victims was taking place nearby.
Her husband, arrested and placed in pretrial detention following his hearing, remains the subject of a criminal investigation by Swiss authorities for negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson in connection with the Constellation fire. Swiss authorities cited flight risk as the reason for his detention, while his wife was released under judicial supervision.
A tragedy that could have been avoided?
The fire broke out shortly after midnight during a New Year's Eve party at a popular establishment in the Valais ski resort. The Swiss and international investigation is focusing on the precise circumstances of the fire's origin, which is believed to be linked to sparks or pyrotechnic candles coming into contact with flammable materials, and on whether the bar complied with safety standards. The central focus of the investigation is to determine the extent to which mandatory periodic checks and inspections had been carried out prior to the fire, as well as the owners' conduct at the time of the blaze.
The scale of the tragedy prompted France, Italy, and other countries to closely monitor the investigation, given the number of nationals killed or injured in the fire. The victims' families also initiated parallel legal proceedings, while local authorities acknowledged shortcomings in the oversight of safety installations in the municipality.
