Key facts
- Lawyers for victims of the Crans-Montana fire have asked prosecutors to upgrade charges against bar owners Jessica and Jacques Moretti.
- The requested upgrade is from manslaughter by negligence to murder with possible intent.
- The request is based on text messages from a WhatsApp group where Jessica Moretti warned about sparkler risks.
- The fire at Le Constellation bar on New Year's Eve killed 41 people and injured 115.
- Jessica Moretti also faces a new charge of forgery related to an invoice for sound-insulating foam panels.
Lawyers representing victims of a fatal New Year's Eve fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, have formally requested that prosecutors elevate the charges against the bar's owners, Jessica and Jacques Moretti, from manslaughter by negligence to murder with possible intent. The request stems from the discovery of text messages within a WhatsApp group where Jessica Moretti reportedly warned staff about the dangers of using sparklers near flammable materials, specifically mentioning the sound-insulating foam on the ceiling. The fire, which killed 41 people and injured 115, is believed to have started when sparklers ignited the foam. Lawyers for the victims argue these messages demonstrate the owners were aware of and accepted the significant fire risk. The Morettis' legal team has refuted these claims, calling them 'nonsense' and asserting the owners could not have foreseen such a risk. Under Swiss law, 'possible intent' applies when an individual acts despite acknowledging a potential negative outcome. Additionally, Jessica Moretti has been notified of a new charge of forgery concerning an invoice for the sound-insulating foam panels, which her lawyers state was merely an accounting entry.