Swiss Bar Owner Released on Bail Amid Ongoing Tragedy Over Deadly New Year's Eve Fire
A shocking decision has left many in the French community reeling as the co-owner of a Swiss bar that caught fire during New Year's celebrations was released from custody on bail. The blaze, which claimed the lives of 40 people, mostly teenagers, and injured 116 others, raises serious questions about safety measures at the establishment.
Jacques Moretti, one of the bar's co-owners, had been held in custody since January 9 but was cleared for release on a 200,000 Swiss franc ($250,000) bail. His wife, Jessica Moretti, has remained at liberty under certain restrictions.
Lawyers for victims' families have expressed outrage over the decision, calling it "a scandal and a disgrace to the victims and their families." Christophe De Galembert, representing a bereaved father, described the release as an "unexpected and shocking decision."
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also weighed in on the issue, labeling the release a "real affront" to the victims' families. He pledged that Italy would continue to work with Switzerland to ensure that those responsible for the tragedy are held accountable.
As the investigation into the fire continues, prosecutors believe that the blaze started when partygoers raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling of the bar's basement level. The foam's safety standards and whether it met regulations are currently under scrutiny.
In addition to Moretti's release, both co-owners will face a further round of questioning at a date yet to be fixed. Prosecutors have formally questioned them for a second time this week, with each facing 10 hours of questioning.
Meanwhile, around 70 of the injured remain in hospitals across Switzerland and abroad, including specialist burns facilities in several European countries. The situation is constantly evolving, with patients being readmitted and transferred between hospitals as their conditions change.
The tragedy has sparked widespread concern about safety measures at the bar, and many questions still need to be answered about what led to the devastating fire on New Year's Eve.
A shocking decision has left many in the French community reeling as the co-owner of a Swiss bar that caught fire during New Year's celebrations was released from custody on bail. The blaze, which claimed the lives of 40 people, mostly teenagers, and injured 116 others, raises serious questions about safety measures at the establishment.
Jacques Moretti, one of the bar's co-owners, had been held in custody since January 9 but was cleared for release on a 200,000 Swiss franc ($250,000) bail. His wife, Jessica Moretti, has remained at liberty under certain restrictions.
Lawyers for victims' families have expressed outrage over the decision, calling it "a scandal and a disgrace to the victims and their families." Christophe De Galembert, representing a bereaved father, described the release as an "unexpected and shocking decision."
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also weighed in on the issue, labeling the release a "real affront" to the victims' families. He pledged that Italy would continue to work with Switzerland to ensure that those responsible for the tragedy are held accountable.
As the investigation into the fire continues, prosecutors believe that the blaze started when partygoers raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling of the bar's basement level. The foam's safety standards and whether it met regulations are currently under scrutiny.
In addition to Moretti's release, both co-owners will face a further round of questioning at a date yet to be fixed. Prosecutors have formally questioned them for a second time this week, with each facing 10 hours of questioning.
Meanwhile, around 70 of the injured remain in hospitals across Switzerland and abroad, including specialist burns facilities in several European countries. The situation is constantly evolving, with patients being readmitted and transferred between hospitals as their conditions change.
The tragedy has sparked widespread concern about safety measures at the bar, and many questions still need to be answered about what led to the devastating fire on New Year's Eve.
Can't believe this guy is out on bail already. Like, 40 people lost their lives in that fire and now he's sipping champagne? It just doesn't add up. The fact that his wife gets to stay free while he does is pretty messed up too. I'm not saying the victim's families should be mad at Jessica or anything, but come on... 
. I mean, come on, you can't just release someone who was involved in such a tragedy without making sure they're held accountable for their actions? It feels like it's all being swept under the rug 
.
. It's not fair to her either, you know? The families of the victims have already lost so much... do we really need to add more to their suffering by letting one of the responsible parties walk free? 
. They should be making sure that justice is served, not just letting them wriggle out of this one 
. This whole situation is just a mess, and I'm worried that we won't ever get to the bottom of what really happened on that fateful New Year's Eve 
.
seems so crazy how partygoers raised those bottles with sparklers on them close to sound insulation foam which probably led to the fire im so confused about all these safety regulations can someone explain it to me like im 5 pls??
The fact that his wife is still free too, I mean what about the victims' families and the ones who survived? Don't get me wrong, it's great that they're pushing for accountability, but come on, shouldn't the guy behind this be held fully responsible? 
I'm all for giving people a fair shake, but this is just ridiculous. And those 10 hours of questioning, not enough, in my opinion... they need to dig deeper into what went wrong and make sure these things don't happen again 
That's like, a fraction of the total damages, right? It just feels kinda... lenient. I know the guy's got connections or something, 'cause no way would he've gotten out that easily otherwise. And what's up with the investigators still questioning him for another 10 hours? Can't they see this is all about politics and PR at this point? 
I'm literally shaking my head over this one... releasing someone who co-owns a bar that caught fire killing 40 people? 
The victims' families are already grieving, and now they have to deal with the added stress of knowing that the person responsible might not face justice yet? 
and now switzerland is having a major issue with their bars not being safe? it's wild. and what's up with this 200k bail though? is that even enough to make jacques moretti feel guilty about what happened? 
. I'm sure its gonna be a long time before they figure out what went down in there... all this is just so unfair 
doesn't seem right that the co-owner gets to walk free while the victims' families are still hurting... 
And what about his wife Jessica? She's still free? That's some pretty convenient luck if you ask me. 
I mean, I'm not saying she's involved or anything, but... have you seen the video of that fire? It looks like it was totally avoidable. The sound insulation foam just happens to be faulty? 
What's next? Is he going to get a slap on the wrist or will there actually be consequences for his actions? 
. I mean, 40 lives lost and 116 injured? The least he could get is to face trial and maybe, just maybe, learn from his mistakes 
. The fact that lawyers for the victims' families are calling it a "scandal" is definitely warranted