Italy has announced that it intends to seek at least 300 euros in compensation for the damage suffered by the tragic fire of January 1 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
The Italian Republic has filed a request to become a plaintiff in the criminal proceedings regarding this event. This request was addressed to the Valais Cantonal Prosecutor's Office and was made public by the RTS investigative unit.
Claim for compensation
At this stage, Italy estimates its damages at at least 300 euros. According to the request dated April 29, this amount can be claimed from those eventually found guilty in this case.
However, there is a legal nuance: if the defendants are state employees, the financial responsibility falls on the respective state. In this case, if officials or representatives of the municipality of Crans-Montana are convicted, then the municipality may be forced to pay compensation.
Status of plaintiff still unclear
To file civil claims, Italy must first obtain plaintiff status, argues a seven-page letter drafted by Geneva-based lawyer Romain Jordan, who also represents many of the victims' families.
Victims and injured
Six Italian citizens died in the fire, while 14 others were seriously injured.
Following the tragedy, Italian authorities took a number of measures to support Swiss authorities, including:
sending a civil protection helicopter with medical and technical personnel
organizing emergency evacuations of the wounded
providing psychological support to family members
sending teams for assessment and coordination
assistance in identifying victims
repatriation of troops by plane
Financial damage
According to lawyer Jordan, the damage represents "direct damage to the property of the Italian state," as it includes expenses incurred during the intervention.
He details some of the costs:
45 thousand euros for psychological and operational support
70 thousand euros for the transport of the injured to Italy
120 thousand euros for the return of coffins and family members
According to him, these are only initial estimates and the final amount is expected to be higher, as it will also include other expenses from various institutions and regions, especially health costs for the treatment of the injured.
The decision is in the hands of the prosecution.
It is now up to the prosecutors investigating the case to decide whether Italy will be accepted as a plaintiff.
We recall that earlier, the request for the same status from the municipality of Crans-Montana was rejected, a decision that was also confirmed by the cantonal court.
What does a plaintiff benefit from?
The status of the plaintiff gives the right to:
access to criminal record
participation in hearings
opportunity to ask questions of witnesses and defendants
request for additional investigative actions
right to appeal decisions
This status also gives it influence on the course of the procedure and the opportunity to guide it.
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