Legal proceedings
Last verified: 10 September 2026
The criminal investigation is ongoing. 17 people are defendants. No indictment has been issued and no trial date has been set: according to the Public Prosecutor's office, the investigation will take several more years.
Presumption of innocence
Being a "defendant" does not mean being guilty. All persons under investigation benefit from the presumption of innocence until any final judgment. This page describes the state of an ongoing procedure, without prejudging its outcome.
Explore the judicial dimension
Parties involved
Defendants, Public Prosecutor's office, civil parties, foreign investigations.
Judicial timeline
The thread of procedural acts and measures, from January 2026 to today.
Legal glossary
Understanding the terms of Swiss criminal law (defendant, TMC, indictment, etc.).
Where do the proceedings stand?
The investigation is led by the Public Prosecutor's office of the Canton of Valais. Since July 2026 it has been conducted by deputy attorney general Catherine Seppey and a second prosecutor: one of the three magistrates assigned to the case will leave the Public Prosecutor's office on 31 December 2026. The number of people placed under investigation has evolved over the course of the inquiry:
| January 2026 | 4 defendants (the two managers of the Constellation + two municipal officials responsible for safety) |
| 5 March 2026 | 9 defendants — investigation widened to five current and former municipal officials, including the president Nicolas Féraud |
| May–June 2026 | 14 defendants |
| 2 July 2026 | 15 defendants — Alain Mittaz, former vice-president of Chermignon and former municipal councillor of Crans-Montana |
| 18 August 2026 | 16 defendants — Thibault Beytrison, former municipal councillor for security (2017-2020) |
| 28 August 2026 | 17 defendants — Rose-Marie Clavien, former municipal councillor for construction (2017-2024) |
Sources: Le Temps, RTS, Public Prosecutor's office of Valais.
The charges
The defendants face, on various grounds:
- Negligent homicide (art. 117 CP)
- Negligent bodily harm (art. 125 CP)
- Negligent arson (art. 222 CP)
On 5 June 2026, following a confrontation hearing, Jessica Moretti was notified of an additional charge, forgery of documents (art. 251 CP), concerning a false invoice linked to the acoustic foam.
See the details in the glossary and the parties page.
Investigations abroad
France — The Paris Public Prosecutor's office has opened a "mirror investigation" entrusted to the OCRVP to support the French families; the Swiss authorities remain solely competent to establish responsibility.
Italy — On 14 April 2026, the Procura di Roma placed the Moretti couple under investigation for multiple involuntary manslaughter and arson, in coordination with Switzerland.
On 6 August 2026, the Valais public prosecutor's office denied the Italian Republic the status of civil party in the Swiss proceedings: neither the Italian nationality of several victims nor the costs incurred to assist its nationals confer that status. An appeal has been filed.
Details on the parties involved page.
Compensation: the out-of-court route
In parallel with the criminal proceedings, the Confederation has launched a compensation process:
- 25 February 2026 — The Federal Council proposed an urgent law: a solidarity contribution of 50,000 CHF per victim (injured persons and families of the deceased) and a round table aimed at out-of-court settlements between victims, relatives, insurers and authorities.
- 22 April 2026 — Laurent Kurth, former Neuchâtel cantonal councillor, is appointed to chair the round table.
- Parliament has released up to 20 million francs to organise the round table and contribute to the settlements.
The Beloved Foundation
Set up on 27 March 2026 by the canton of Valais, the Beloved Foundation supports victims and their families. It is endowed with 24 million francs from the cantons of Valais and Vaud, the municipality of Crans-Montana and private donors. It is chaired by Doris Leuthard and directed by Christian Cardon. As of 7 September 2026 it had received some seventy applications. Its support — vocational retraining, psychological care, financial assistance — supplements statutory benefits without replacing them.
This route aims to spare victims and their relatives lengthy civil proceedings. See also the Support page.
Sources: Federal Council (admin.ch), RTS.
The technical dimension of the investigation
The cause of the fire, the failures revealed and the investigative resources are documented on a dedicated page.
Investigation: causes and failures →