A Mother's Heartfelt Encounter: Seeking Justice After Swiss Bar Fire

Fri Feb 13 2026 06:36:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In an emotional hearing in Sion, Leila Micheloud, mother of fire victims, confronts the bar owners involved in a tragic incident that claimed 41 lives and injured many others.

Leila Micheloud, whose daughters were seriously hurt in a devastating New Year's Day fire in Switzerland, had a poignant meeting with the owners of the bar implicated in the tragedy. During the ongoing hearings, she sought to address them personally, emphasizing that the victims are more than just names. Following the fire, which resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, the Morettis face serious accusations including involuntary manslaughter. As victims and their families press for accountability, they also grapple with the deep emotional scars left behind. This encounter has been called a rare moment of humanity amid the legal proceedings.

The mother of two young women who were badly injured in the New Year's Day fire in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana has had a private encounter with the couple who own the bar. Leila Micheloud had said earlier she wanted to 'speak privately' to Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who were attending a hearing on the fire that left 41 people dead and 115 injured. A lawyer for the victims' families remarked it was 'an extremely intense moment and rare in its humanity', although he did not disclose the details of their discussion. Outside the hearing, Micheloud expressed that her presence represented that the victims were 'not just names on a list but they too had faces'. She emphasized the ongoing struggle for justice as her daughter Farah remains hospitalized with severe injuries.

Other mothers of victims, like Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, whose son died in the incident, also spoke out, demanding accountability and transparency. The Morettis are currently under investigation for involuntary manslaughter, alongside civil suits stemming from negligence concerns related to the fire's tragic aftermath, including safety protocol failures leading to the disaster. Hearing survivors and families echo the urgent call for safety regulations and structured accountability remains crucial as this heart-wrenching story unfolds.