La Constellation bar manager Jessica Moretti allegedly fled the deadly fire that ravaged the Crans-Montana establishment on January 1, taking petty cash with her.
• Also read: Italy, moved by tears, pays tribute to the memory of its children who died in Crans Montana
• Also read: Italy, moved by tears, pays tribute to the memory of its children who died in Crans Montanawe are a lawyer
• Also read: Fire in Switzerland: bar owners assure that they cannot “escape”
• Also read: Fire in Switzerland: families concerned about lack of safety checks for bars
As a result of the disaster, 40 people were killed and more than a hundred were injured.
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, surveillance cameras captured the French woman leaving the scene with money as the flames spread. It is reported that during the tragedy she suffered minor burns to her hand.
The escape, while dozens of young people were left behind in the fire, could lead to him being charged with failing to render aid to a person in danger.
Lawyer fears 'destruction of evidence'
Families of fire victims fear “destruction of evidence” by the owners or “anyone close to them” due to a failure to search or arrest those involved, their lawyer said Wednesday.
“My constituents fear that evidence will be altered or destroyed, given the lack of searches and other decisive measures by the prosecutor” of the canton of Valais, Romain Jordan, who advises several families, told AFP.
The lawyer regrets that the French owner couple were not subject to any restrictions on their freedom after the tragedy that left 40 people dead and 116 injured on New Year's Eve, and that, to his knowledge, the prosecutor did not carry out any searches.
“Early in the morning, while the establishment was still burning, the operators of the Constellation bar or someone close to them suspended access to the Facebook pages, to all social networks of the establishment, where photographs and videos of the evening appeared,” the lawyer noted, believing that “this clearly demonstrates that there was awareness of the problem and that we sought to minimize it.”
Me Jordan also notes that his clients “welcome the press, which has already yielded numerous digital elements.”
“Careful with foam”
The cause of the tragedy, according to investigators, was the so-called “fountain” candles that fell into the soundproofing foam laid on the basement ceiling.
Or, videos broadcast on Monday evening by Swiss television RTS show that this is not the first time this type of candle has been used in a bar and that their dangers are known.
“Beware of the foam!” a bar employee said six years ago during a 2019-2020 New Year's Eve party, according to one of those videos.
“This video is astonishing,” the lawyer said, assessing that “there was an awareness of this risk and perhaps this risk was accepted.”
Since Saturday, a criminal case has been opened against the owners of the bar under the article “murder by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.”
If investigators believe the owners were aware of the danger, they could face more severe charges, such as “murder by dolus eventualis” (a form of intent to defraud), punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
At the end of the investigation launched against the owners, the Vale prosecutor will decide whether to close the case or issue an indictment for possible trial. In this case, the presumption of innocence prevails.
