A new controversy has erupted in the aftermath of the Crans-Montana fire tragedy as the Valais prosecutor’s office ordered a last-minute autopsy on one of the youngest victims, 17-year-old Trystan Pidoux of Pully (VD). The decision, issued just days before the teenager’s planned funeral and nearly two weeks after the disaster, has prompted confusion, frustration, and sharp criticism from grieving families. The abrupt reversal comes after the same authority previously declined to authorize an autopsy for another victim, a refusal that had already sparked public debate about consistency, transparency, and fairness in the handling of the victims’ remains.
For the family of Trystan Pidoux, the timing of the decision was particularly devastating. They had already endured nearly two weeks of uncertainty, mourning, and logistical arrangements as they prepared to bury their son. The sudden order, arriving at the final moment, forced a painful delay in the farewell they had been trying to prepare. According to people close to the family, the shock was compounded by the absence of a clear explanation from the prosecutor’s office, leaving the impression of disorganization at a moment when families desperately need clarity.
The broader backdrop of the controversy stems from an earlier case in which the Valais authorities explicitly refused to conduct an autopsy on another victim of the fire. That refusal drew criticism from parts of the public, medical professionals, and legal observers who argued that autopsies are essential in large-scale tragedies, both for determining the exact cause of death and for ensuring proper investigation. Critics say that the inconsistency — declining an autopsy in one case and ordering one suddenly in another — has created confusion and fueled the perception of procedural chaos.
The fire, which broke out on New Year’s Eve inside a crowded venue, left dozens dead and injured more than a hundred people. In the days that followed, families struggled to navigate grief alongside administrative procedures: identification, transport of bodies, official documentation, and funeral arrangements. Decisions made by the authorities regarding autopsies carry enormous emotional and practical consequences. For families like Trystan’s, such decisions shape not only how they say goodbye but also how they process the reality of their loss.
Sources familiar with the case indicate that the prosecutor’s office may have ordered the autopsy because of new information that surfaced late in the investigation. However, the absence of a public explanation has led to widespread speculation. Legal experts emphasize that autopsies can be crucial for determining whether victims died from burns, smoke inhalation, structural collapse, or other factors. These details play a key role in reconstructing the sequence of events, assessing responsibility, and identifying potential failures in safety measures. But they also stress that such procedures must be communicated early and clearly to families to avoid unnecessary trauma.
The family of the previously refused victim has also reacted strongly to the new development. For them, the fact that their loved one was denied an autopsy — while another victim suddenly receives one at the last moment — raises concerns of unequal treatment. Some relatives expressed feelings of injustice, questioning whether procedures vary from case to case without consistent criteria. Others worry that without a standardized approach, vital information might be lost in some cases while preserved in others.
The sudden order in Trystan Pidoux’s case has revived calls for a transparent and uniform protocol for handling victim examinations in major disasters. Advocates argue that autopsies should be conducted systematically, unless strongly justified otherwise, to avoid selective decisions that can result in emotional harm to families and hinder the integrity of the investigation. Medical specialists also point out that early autopsies are preferable, as delays can compromise the quality of findings. A last-minute order, they say, is far from ideal.
For the Brodard-Sistre family — who previously went public about locating their son’s phone in the morgue — and for many other families affected by the Crans-Montana fire, the autopsy issue represents yet another layer of suffering in a situation already marked by loss, shock, and bureaucratic delays. Trystan’s relatives have not issued detailed public comments, but those close to them describe exhaustion, sadness, and frustration at having their goodbye postponed by a bureaucratic decision that arrived too late to be understood calmly.
Observers point out that the prosecutor’s office may be attempting to respond to growing public scrutiny by tightening the investigative process. However, the abruptness of the decision risks undermining trust instead of rebuilding it. Families who have already been shaken by the tragedy now face new uncertainty as they wait for procedures to be carried out, results to be analyzed, and permissions to be granted for funeral plans to resume.
The case also raises questions about communication between investigators, medical examiners, and families. Experts stress that transparency is essential not only for legal credibility but also for basic human compassion. When families are kept informed, even painful procedures such as autopsies can be understood within a meaningful context. When they are not, such procedures can feel arbitrary and deeply destabilizing. In disasters of this scale, communication failures can exacerbate trauma for survivors and relatives.
As the autopsy proceeds, prosecutors are expected to release findings relevant to the investigation, though no specific timeline has been announced. Meanwhile, calls for standardized procedures continue to grow louder. Human rights advocates, legal commentators, and some political figures in the region have emphasized the need for reforms in how victim examinations are ordered and carried out. They argue that consistent guidelines can prevent situations like the one now unfolding, where families feel abandoned by institutional inconsistency.
The tragedy at Crans-Montana has already shaken Switzerland, prompting national mourning, questions about safety standards, and intense scrutiny of the investigation. The case of Trystan Pidoux now adds another painful dimension — one that highlights not only the loss experienced by families but also the institutional challenges that arise in the aftermath of mass-casualty events. For many relatives, closure remains distant, and trust in authorities feels fragile.
As Switzerland continues to search for answers about how the fire began, how it spread so quickly, and what failures may have contributed to the scale of the disaster, one truth remains clear: families need consistency, clarity, and compassion. The sudden autopsy order in the case of a 17-year-old victim, following an earlier refusal in another case, underscores how critical these elements are — and how devastating their absence can be. For now, the Pidoux family must wait once more, their farewell delayed, their grief prolonged, and their questions unanswered.
