Owners of the Swiss resort bar where a fire claimed 40 lives on New Year’s Eve have attributed blame to a helmet-wearing waitress, claiming she ignited the deadly blaze. Jack Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica, 40, appeared in court last week regarding the fire at Le Constellation nightclub in Crans-Montana, asserting, “It’s not us, it’s other people,” according to French outlet Le Parisien.
Charged with “murder, assault, and negligent arson,” the Morettis alleged that Sian Panin, 24, was responsible for the outbreak.
Jacques Moretti, representing the couple, claimed Panin climbed on a colleague’s shoulders while holding two champagne bottles lit with firework candles, a stunt he later admitted he didn’t discourage. He noted, “We weren’t aware of the dangers. Sian was having fun doing it. It was a show. She loved performing.”
Jessica echoed this, stating that the young waitress enjoyed delivering those bottles voluntarily. “If I had thought about the risks at all, I would have banned it,” she remarked, expressing disbelief that such a situation could arise in her ten years of business.
However, Panine’s family contended that she had not been scheduled to work that evening; they claimed the Morettis directed her to the nightclub from their restaurant. Reports indicated she was initially instructed to greet guests and guide high-spending patrons to their tables.
Staff revealed frustrations about exhausting shifts without breaks, with Jessica reportedly encouraging Panin to wear a crash helmet to enhance the atmosphere that night.
Witnesses and Panin’s family strongly refuted the accusations, asserting that Jessica instructed her to perform the stunt involving the bottle and helmet, both provided by Dom Pérignon. Panin’s father, Jerome, expressed his dismay, saying he couldn’t accept that his daughter would be remembered for the fire and the helmet alone. Her mother added that Sian was immensely trusting and “paid the ultimate price for that.”
During court proceedings, Jacques Moretti admitted that safety measures at the bar were not properly handled, mentioning that employees had only been given basic instructions on fire safety without actual training. He acknowledged that perhaps he had neglected to inform them about the fire extinguishers, noting, “The staff had several shifts, and I probably forgot… maybe I forgot.”
Concern lingered over the locked service door on the first floor, which Panin and six others attempted to escape through. Moretti suggested someone had locked it without reason, while one employee claimed they had not closed it at all. Jessica maintained the door was typically open and questioned why it was locked that particular night.
Le Parisien reported that investigators found the owners failed to notify local authorities of renovations completed in 2015, which might have influenced fire safety regulations. Additionally, the flammable acoustic foam used during renovations was said to have been approved by fire officials, a statement the Morettis stood by.
In the aftermath, they faced considerable backlash, especially after footage allegedly showed Jessica fleeing the scene with a cash register while others remained trapped inside. “We accept what is being said about us, even if it’s false. It’s nothing compared to what our families are going through,” Jack stated. “We are victims too, but not to the same degree. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen.”
Despite denying any criminal or civil responsibility, the couple is charged with negligence related to the deaths of 40 individuals and serious burns suffered by over 100 others. If found guilty, they face a possible 20-year prison sentence.
