tm/Hundreds tried to escape. Emergency exits failed. And one question keeps haunting everyone: where was the owner of the Swiss bar?

The manager of the doomed ski bar in which 40 people died and 119 suffered severe burns on New Year’s Day was at the centre of a ‘Hot Rabbit’ sex worker case which saw him recruiting prostitutes to a Geneva massage parlour.
The owner Jacques Moretti, 49, is now at the centre of a criminal manslaughter investigation alongside his wife Jessica, 40.
Mr Moretti, it has emerged, was convicted of pimping by a criminal court in Annecy, southern France in 2008 in a case which involved the recruitment of young French women as sex workers for an erotic massage parlour in Geneva called the ‘Hot Rabbit Rendezvous’.
Both he and his wife, Jessica Moretti, 40, face prison for ‘manslaughter by negligence’, and for ‘causing bodily harm and arson’ after partygoers were overcome by flames and toxic smoke when the ceiling was torched by sparklers stuffed into champagne bottles.
Le Parisien has claimed that the bar owner is a known pimp who has also served time in prison in the southeast of France for other cases.
It stated: ‘He is known for pimping cases dating back some twenty years, as well as for a kidnapping and confinement case.’
Quoting its own legal source, RTL, a national radio network, said: ‘The Corsican-born man…was imprisoned in Savoie in 2005, for involvement in cases of pimping, fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.’
The ‘Hot Rabbit’ massage parlour in Geneva’s Rue du Lièvre (which translates as ‘hare’), was raided by Swiss police after a tip-off from their French colleagues in 2008.

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Jacques Moretti, 49, who is one of the owners of a Swiss nightclub where dozens of people were killed in a horrific blaze on New Year’s Eve, was at the centre of a ‘Hot Rabbit’ sex worker case which saw him recruiting prostitutes to a Geneva massage parlour

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Jacques and Jessica Moretti who owned the Swiss ski bar, Le Constellation

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A photo appears to show the moment champagne sparklers set fire to material on the ceiling of the Swiss nightclub

Moretti, then 32, categorically denied the charges when arrested, admitting only to having managed the massage parlour for three months under the name of a Swiss pimp—which is not illegal under Swiss law.
But for his recruitment activities in France, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, eight of which were suspended, for inciting prostitution.
According to newspaper L’Est Republican, that meant four months imprisonment for offences dating back to 2005.
Moretti was one of a trio identified, along with two other men aged 38, and placed under surveillance. Conversations between the three men, led to their arrest.
The prosecution requested an 18-month prison sentence, with 12 months suspended, for Moretti, but the court was more lenient.
His lawyer, Annick Hingrez, told L’Est Republican she recalled her client as a ‘courteous and affable’ man. Until the horrific news broke about Le Constellation, she thought he still lived in Bonifacio, Corsica.
In court the lawyer described the case against him as weak and claimed it ‘didn’t hold water’.
She highlighted the ‘voluntary participation of the young women recruited.’

Exact moment fire begins to spread across Swiss nightclub ceiling

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Jessica Moretti, 40, (pictured) was inside the bar when the blaze broke out and suffered burns to her arm

Witness reveals man trapped in Swiss blaze sat with crucifix in hand

She also stressed the legal differences between the two countries.
She told the court: ‘According to the conventions between France and Switzerland, acts committed in Switzerland by a French national can only be prosecuted by the French judicial authorities to the extent that they constitute a crime in Switzerland… Which is not the case for either prostitution or pimping.’
Moretti’s sentence included a ban on managing a company in France, but that still left him free to do so in Switzerland, where, according to the Valais cantonal commercial register, he and his French-born wife Jessica also owns two other establishments: Le Senso, a bar-restaurant specializing in hamburgers in the Crans-Montana resort, and the more up-market Le Vieux-Chalet , in the neighbouring village of Lens, which describes itself as a ‘Corsican inn.’
He was questioned by Swiss prosecutors last Friday, along with his wife, who suffered a burned arm in the fire.
Both are currently at liberty, as they assist the judicial authorities with their enquiries, but face trial.
Swiss attorney general Béatrice Pilloud said: ‘Everything suggests that the fire started with incandescent candles placed in champagne bottles, which were brought too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid and widespread conflagration.’
Mr Moretti has claimed the Constellation ‘followed all safety regulations,’ despite only being inspected only ‘three times in ten years’ by health and safety officials.
Article 8 of the local fire prevention code states that inspections must take place ‘every year in buildings open to the public or presenting special risks.’

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A signboard of Le Constellation bar, after a fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party where several people died and others were injured

First victim of the Swiss bar blaze named as 17-year-old golfer

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A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial outside the ‘Le Constellation’ bar, after a deadly fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party, in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland, January 5, 2026

Mr Moretti, who owns three businesses around Crans-Montana, was not in the Constellation on the night of the fire.
The couple took over Le Constellation in 2015, and own a home nearby, as well as one on the French Riviera.
The news came as the Mayor of Crans-Montana admitted that the party venue had not had any safety checks for five years.
Speaking to a press conference Nicolas Feraud said that no periodic safety inspections had been carried out since 2019 at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort, despite a legal requirement that checks were carried out annually.
‘We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the checks had not been done’, he said.
‘We regret that – we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility.’
The mayor also confirmed he would not be resigning, telling reporters that he and his officials were elected by the people of Crans-Montana and that they have to be there to help residents.

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Firefighters cry as they attend a memorial march in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

Achille Barosi, 16
Achielle, an art student from Milan, had left Le Constellation earlier in the evening – but tragically went back to the club to retrieve his phone and his jacket.

Alice Kallergis, 15
The Greek-Swiss teenager had been on her first night out with her older brother Romain before deciding to go to Le Constellation with her own friends at 1am – 30 minutes before the fire started.

Alicia and Diana Gunst, 15 and 14
Swiss sisters Alicia and Diana were members of the Jewish community in the nearby city of Lausanne, and were identified through DNA testing.

Arthur Brodard, 16
Swiss national Arthur had been among those reported missing after the fire; his mother Laetitia later confirmed his death, saying: ‘Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise.’

Benjamin Johnson, 18
A keen boxer, Benjamin was said by witnesses to have died trying to save a friend, who survived. The Swiss Boxing Federation said: ‘This act of ultimate altruism perfectly reflects who he was.’

The daughter of a municipal councillor in nearby Sierre, Caroline was reported to be one of the first victims identified in the fire.

Charlotte Niddam, 15
British-educated Charlotte, who also had Israeli and French citizenship, attended top schools in Bushey in London and had worked as a babysitter at the Crans-Montana resort.

Chiara Costanzo, 16
Chiara, from Milan, had been to Le Constellation before: her father told Italian media she had ended up there again ‘by chance’ on New Year’s Eve.

Cyane Panine, 24
French citizen Cyane had moved to Switzerland several years ago and was working as a waitress. A friend told French media: ‘She said she was happy there.’

Emanuele Galeppini, 17
A budding amateur golfer, Italian-born Emanuele had notched up wins and podiums in junior competitions around the world, and was studying at Dubai’s Swiss International School.

Émilie Pralong, 22
Ms Pralong went to Crans-Montana with friends to celebrate New Year; her grandfather later confirmed to the press that she was among the dead.

Giovanni Putelli, 39
Giovanni is the oldest victim of the tragedy to date. A father to two children aged three and five, he moved from France to Switzerland to work in a casino.

Giovanni Tamburi, 16
Giovanni, from Bologna in Italy, had gone to Crans-Montana for a holiday with his family, and is said to have gone to the bar after dinner with friends.

Matéo Lesguer, 23
French music producer Matéo was performing as a DJ at Le Constellation when the fire broke out; a close friend said it was meant to be his last year working there.

Noa Thévenot El Kaim Billah, 14
The young French football prospect spent his childhood playing in youth teams and had hoped to join French Championship side FCSM’s training centre to progress his career.

Noémie Dabin, 26
Toulouse native Noémie was said to be on holiday in Crans-Montana and had been due to meet her boyfriend after he finished work at New Year.

Riccardo Minghetti, 16
Rome native Riccardo went to the club with his sister Mathilde, who was outside when the fire took hold; his friend suffered 40 per cent burns but survived.

Sofia Prosperi, 15
The Italo-Swiss teenager was a student at the prestigious International School of Como, but had gone back to Switzerland to celebrate New Year with her friends.

Tristan Pidoux, 17
Swiss national Mr Pidoux’s death was confirmed by his family on social media after he went clubbing with friends to ring in 2026.

‘I’m not resigning, no, and I don’t want to.’
‘We’re not departing the ship right now’.
Authorities have said they believe the fire started when people celebrating New Year raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached, setting light to sound insulating foam on the ceiling of the bar’s basement.
Swiss police on Monday said they had identified all the people who were injured in the fire.
They put the total at 116, more than two-thirds still in hospital.
The injured include 68 Swiss citizens, 21 French nationals, 10 Italians, four Serbs, two Poles and one person each from Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Republic of Congo, according to a police statement.
There were also four dual nationals: of France and Finland, France and Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, and Italy and the Philippines.
Police said 83 of the injured were still in hospitals. They didn’t give further details or specify their ages.