Parents Speak Out in Defence of 'Girl in the Helmet' Amid Swiss Resort Fire Blame
The parents of Cyane Panine, the young waitress infamously dubbed 'la Fille au Casque' or 'The Girl in the Helmet', have publicly defended their daughter as she faces association with the cause of a devastating New Year's Eve fire at a Swiss ski resort bar. The tragic incident at La Constellation bar in Crans-Montana resulted in 40 fatalities and 116 injuries as 2026 dawned, with an investigation pointing to the bar's ceiling, clad in highly flammable acoustic foam, catching fire.
A Daughter Remembered as 'Spontaneous and Radiant'
Jerome and Astrid Panine, grieving the loss of their 24-year-old daughter, describe Cyane as 'spontaneous, radiant and full of heart'. Astrid poignantly recalls her as 'an elusive butterfly; the kind one longs to catch and immortalise'. The couple emphasised that her death serves as a stark reminder of all young people cut down in their prime, sharing their devastation that she has become linked to the incident's cause.
Cyane, named for the colour of her eyes, had a remarkable childhood, accompanying her family on a UNESCO-backed round-the-world sailing adventure at age 11 to promote water conservation. She was considered a 'stepdaughter' by La Constellation co-owner Jacques Moretti, who acquired the bar with his wife Jessica in 2015.
Safety Failures and Criminal Charges
The bar's owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are now facing serious criminal charges, including manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson—all by negligence—with potential prison sentences of up to 20 years if convicted. Jacques Moretti is currently in pre-trial detention due to his previous criminal record. Investigations revealed alarming safety lapses:
- Ms Panine allegedly received no safety training for her job and worked without a formal employment contract.
- She was reportedly forced into long hours, leaving her mentally and physically exhausted.
- Due to this lack of training, she was unaware of the ceiling foam's extreme flammability.
- The bar had not undergone a fire safety inspection since 2019, despite legal requirements for annual checks.
The Fateful Night and Its Aftermath
On New Year's Eve, Mr Moretti instructed Ms Panine to 'get the atmosphere going', leading her to wear a crash helmet supplied by Champagne giant Dom Perignon while waving bottles of bubbly topped with sparklers. The helmet masked her vision, preventing her from seeing the fire as it erupted. A now-infamous photo shows her held up by barman Matthieu Aubrun, 27, who also wore a mask.
Tragically, around 85% of the victims were trapped in the bar's basement, struggling to evacuate via a single staircase. A second 'service door', which could have served as an escape route, was locked—reportedly to prevent unpaid entry—a decision Jerome Panine believes exacerbated the disaster. 'If the door had been open, maybe there wouldn't have been deaths,' he stated.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Grief
This case highlights critical issues in hospitality safety, training, and regulatory enforcement. Ms Panine's lawyer has pointed to systemic failures that placed her and others at risk. As the criminal investigation proceeds, her parents continue to mourn a vibrant life lost, urging the public to look beyond blame to the deeper safety negligence that fuelled this avoidable tragedy.
