The waitress blamed for starting the New Year’s fire at a Swiss ski resort bar was made to wear a promotional crash helmet, which prevented her from seeing sparklers, a witness has claimed.
Cyane Panine, 24, was filmed wearing the crash helmet from Dom Perignon, the Champagne brand, as she was lifted onto the shoulders of Mateo Lesguer, 23, the in-house DJ.
This was ‘at the request’ of the bar manager, Jessica Moretti, 40, the witness states in an official report compiled by the Swiss authorities.
The Dom Perignon ‘motorcycle crash helmet’ covered Cyane’s face completely with a black visor, meaning she could hardly see anything as she carried champagne bottles plugged with sparklers.
The sparklers are said to have ignited soundproofing foam in the basement ceiling, leading to 40 deaths and 116 others being horrifically burned at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana.
Mateo, who was wearing a carnival mask that also hid his face, tragically died alongside Cyane in the bar.
Ms Moretti is now under investigation for multiple alleged crimes, including ‘manslaughter by negligence’.
The bar manager, who is currently on bail and wearing an electronic tag, has confirmed the battery-powered helmet, which flashed from green to pink, was part of a stunt designed to sell champagne.
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Cyane Panine, 24, was filmed wearing the crash helmet from Dom Perignon, the Champagne brand, as she was lifted onto the shoulders of Mateo Lesguer, 23, the in-house DJ
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The Dom Perignon ‘motorcycle crash helmet’ covered Cyane’s face completely with a black visor, meaning she could hardly see anything
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Jessica Moretti is now under investigation for multiple alleged crimes, including ‘manslaughter by negligence’
‘These are Dom Pérignon helmets,’ she said. ‘These helmets are delivered by our champagne supplier, and we wear them from time to time when we serve champagne.’
With her field of vision significantly reduced, Cyane was unable to see the sparklers ‘touching the ceiling’, the official report reads.
Sophie Haenni, lawyer for Cyane’s bereaved family, also claims that ‘Cyane wasn’t supposed to be serving at the tables.’
Ms Haenni said: ‘Jessica Moretti asked her to go down to the basement to help her colleagues, given the large number of champagne bottles ordered.
‘Cyane simply followed the instructions given, did her job, and did so in front of the manager. She was never informed of the ceiling’s danger and received no safety training.’
Ms Moretti is facing trial alongside her 49-year-old husband, Jacques Moretti, who is in pre-trial detention for at least the next three months.
Mr Moretti is an ex-pimp who has spent time in prison for previous offences.
Both the Morettis have claimed Cyane was like a ‘step-daughter’ and ‘sister’ to them.
But Ms Haenni said this was false, and Cyane had in fact contacted ‘the workers’ protection service’ over her employment conditions with the Morettis.
She was entitled to all of these documents under Swiss law, but the Morettis appeared reluctant to give her basic documents, including an employment contract, or to pay her a decent wage.
Cyane and the Morettis ‘addressed each other formally in messages,’ while Cyane complained of ‘orders’ given to her by Jessica Moretti.
Ms Haenni said: ‘In 2025, Cyane confided in her family about the significant difficulties she was experiencing with her employers.
‘She indicated that she had to work tirelessly. She was working endless days. Shortly before her death, Cyane told her family about her physical and emotional exhaustion.
‘She expressed her incomprehension at her employers’ lack of empathy and understanding.’
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High quality photographs show the very first moments of the Swiss Constellation Bar fire in Crans-Montana
Swiss inferno bar owner sobs as she apologises to victims
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A dramatic video captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski bar caught fire
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In video footage someone can be seen trying desperately to extinguish the fire, but within seconds it takes hold, erupting into a deadly fireball that engulfs the packed bar
Cyane’s parents, Jérôme and Astrid Cyane, are particularly angry at the tear-filled, highly sentimental words uttered by Jessica Moretti during a court appearance last week.
It was then that she referred to Cyane as ‘a sister’ and said she had asked her to ‘get the atmosphere going’ at Le Constellation, just before her death on January 1st.
Ms Moretti admitted she knew the champagne sparkler stunt was being performed regularly, despite the huge danger.
She also offered a reserved apology for what happened on New Year’s Day, without admitting any criminal or civil liability.
Ms Haenni, a barrister, said the Cyane family ‘didn’t take Ms Moretti’s apology very well.’
Ms Haenni said: ‘They were quite hurt, because for them it didn’t reflect her behaviour on the evening.’
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Ms Haenni said: ‘The image the Moretti family is trying to project contradicts certain elements of the case’ and ‘there was no familiarity’ between them and Cyane.
Video cameras are said to have caught Ms Moretti getting away from the scene of the fire as quickly as possible, in her car, after quickly escaping with the till containing the night’s cash takings under her arm.
Cyane’s parents have already alleged that an emergency exit was locked to prevent people sneaking in and avoiding the table charges equivalent to around £900 each.
Ms Panine said: ‘If the door had been open, maybe there wouldn’t have been any deaths.’
Like the Morettis, Cyane was a French national and was buried in her hometown of Sète, on the country’s southern coast, on Saturday.
Investigators have established that 34 of the 40 who died in the fire perished on the bar’s small stairwell, which had been reduced in width by a third by Mr Moretti during renovation work in 2015.
Both the Morettis are currently considered a flight risk by the Swiss authorities, but Ms Moretti is being allowed to stay at home to look after the couple’s two children.
She has to wear an electronic tag and has had her passport confiscated, while having to report to a local police station every three days.
The investigation into the fire continues.
