US EditionLouvre Thieves Escaped with Just 30 Seconds to Spare, Senate Inquiry Finds
Senate inquiry found multiple security failures including malfunctioning cameras and police misdirection allowed thieves to escape with $102 million in jewels.
- On Wednesday investigators revealed four intruders fled moments before police reached the Apollo Gallery after a daylight heist on Sunday October 19, escaping on powerful motorbikes.
- Earlier audits and recommendations, including a 2019 Van Cleef & Arpels review, were not implemented, and last month France's state auditor criticized security upgrades as proceeding at a woefully inadequate pace.
- Investigators found only one of two nearby security cameras was working and the security headquarters lacked enough screens, while the riverside balcony was easily reached using an extendable ladder.
- Police say they have arrested all four intruders, museum staff will strike Monday over understaffing, and France's lower house of parliament will question Laurence des Cars, Louvre boss, and Jean‑Luc Martinez next week.
- It highlights an overall failure of the museum, as well as its supervisory authority, to address security issues, Laurent Lafon said, while investigators noted $102 million crown jewels remain missing.
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105 Articles
Thieves who escaped from the Louvre with the crown jewels in October drove away from the scene of the crime about 30 seconds before police or security guards could stop them, blaming preventable shortcomings in the museum's security.
Outdated equipment, defective cameras and a lack of coordination: New findings show how the thieves managed to escape almost undisturbed.
Only one of the two cameras was working, and the police initially rushed to the wrong location due to poor coordination.
Since the world-famous jewel theft in October, the Louvre in Paris has been the subject of constant scandals. Almost a small shop is more under-camera than some parts of one of the world's most famous museums. They can no longer hide the fact that they haven't spent enough money on it, which could be a lack of resources, but also the result of bad decisions.
This was concluded by the investigation of the Ministry of Culture, which found other flaws in the safety of the museum
The Louvre robbers managed to escape a little while. At first, the police in Paris were heading in the wrong direction. There is still no trace of the €88 million worth of loot.
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