Crans-Montana bar owner detained over alleged domestic violence

Updated 24 August 2026, morning CEST — Swiss authorities have placed Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, in pre-trial detention following alleged violence against his wife at their home in Valais during the night of 11 to 12 August, Léman Bleu reported on Sunday. Jessica Moretti was injured and taken to hospital, according to the broadcaster.

The precise circumstances, the possible criminal charges and Jessica Moretti’s current condition have not been disclosed. Léman Bleu said Jacques Moretti has no known previous record for offences of this nature. He remains presumed innocent unless convicted by a court.

Lawyers Yaël Hayat, Nicola Meier and Patrick Michod, representing the couple, confirmed that the alleged domestic violence is being investigated through a procedure separate from the criminal inquiry into the Le Constellation fire. In a statement reported by Léman Bleu, they declined to discuss the couple’s private life and said the new case must not be conflated with the bar disaster.

That distinction is legally important. Jacques and Jessica Moretti are already among the defendants under investigation over the fire that swept through Le Constellation during New Year celebrations on 1 January 2026. Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA reported in June that the wider inquiry concerns suspected negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and negligently causing a fire.

The Valais public prosecutor’s office confirmed in February that the fire’s death toll had risen to 41. The cantonal government later recorded 84 hospital admissions and 31 other people treated without an overnight stay, bringing the number of people directly affected to 156.

Jacques Moretti was initially detained in the fire case on 9 January but released on 23 January after a CHF200,000 bail payment, according to Keystone-SDA. SRF reported that he and Jessica Moretti remained subject to separate restrictions linked to that investigation, including a ban on leaving Switzerland and daily police reporting, after a Valais court extended the measures until 9 October.

For readers in Belgium, the development has no identified direct legal or public-safety consequence. Its relevance lies chiefly in the continuing Swiss investigation into a major European disaster that involved an international resort population and prompted cross-border medical care.

Attention now turns to whether the Valais authorities disclose the legal classification of the alleged domestic violence, how long the new detention will last and whether Jessica Moretti has left hospital. The fire inquiry will continue on its own evidential track.