Crans Montana, Jessica Moretti: 'Nobody asked us for evidence of evacuation'. Relatives of the victims: 'You killed our children'
The Moretti couple challenged as they arrive in front of the prosecutor's office in Sion. Today Jessica Moretti will be heard before the civil parties
"We have committed ourselves to answering the questions of the families. That is why we walked past the families today, because we knew there was a gathering. We knew that the families wished to meet with us. We understand your anger, your hatred. I reiterate that we will be there to answer any questions, we will be there for you". This was said, in tears, by Jessica Moretti, addressing the lawyers of the civil parties, during questioning today, still shaken after being attacked by some of the victims' families who were waiting for her and her husband in front of the hearing room.
To a lawyer for the victims' families who asked her why she immediately rushed outside the venue in the moments immediately after the fire started, the Constellation owner replied that 'you cannot go against a fire. And my priority was to raise the alarm, evacuate people and call the fire brigade as quickly as possible. I myself am the daughter of a fireman and that is my reflection'.
The owner of the discobar in Crans-Montana, where 41 people died, recounted in today's interrogation a detail concerning the lack of preventive measures at the venue, namely that 'evacuation tests were never carried out because nobody ever told us we had to do them'. Furthermore, the businesswoman claimed that there were two bouncers on New Year's Eve, but the documentation collected by the prosecution shows that only one was hired.
Victims' relatives: 'You killed our children'
When the couple arrived in front of the prosecutor's building, several relatives of the victims rushed towards the two shouting: 'You killed our children'. According to the Swiss daily Blick, the couple only managed to enter the building under police protection and the relatives later left the area. In a video posted on the Blick website, a woman's voice can be heard shouting: 'You will pay dearly, murderers'. A male voice in the background also calls on the Moretti couple to take responsibility, while another woman shouts: 'Money is not enough, children's lives cannot be bought. Pay up, take responsibility'.
Jacques Moretti: "I apologise to the families"
Yesterday Jacques Moretti was heard by the magistrates and apologised to the relatives of the victims, attacking the municipality of Crans Montana. 'The ventilation system of the bar has never been checked,' he said during the hearing. The papers showed that the bar was not on the list of priorities for safety checks by the municipal authorities. Photos taken in the bar after the massacre show the cramped quarters devastated by flames, the soundproofing foam on the roof completely burnt out as well as the small staircase, the only way out.
