In the early hours of 1 January, a fire destroyed the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. Forty-one people died, most of them young people who were out partying. One hundred and fifteen people were injured. Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the French couple who ran the bar, have since been at the centre of a criminal investigation into manslaughter and arson through negligence. A total of 16 people are under investigation.
On the evening of 11 August, Jacques Moretti assaulted his wife. The assault was so severe that Jessica had to be hospitalised. Since then, Jacques has been in pre-trial detention on charges of domestic violence.
Their lawyers issued a statement on Sunday to clarify that this matter “concerns exclusively their private life” and should not be confused with the Constellation tragedy. At the same time, they added that it all took place “against a backdrop of particularly trying times, which the Morettis have been trying to cope with together since 1 January”.
There are matters that the courts will decide. Others are already clear. A bar without enough emergency exits, 41 dead, an ongoing investigation, and the same man now in pre-trial detention for assaulting the person who is working alongside him on that investigation. Many people will bear this very much in mind when the trial begins.