The Louvre Museum’s director has acknowledged a critical lapse in security, revealing that a gang of thieves successfully stole €88 million (£76 million) worth of French crown jewels due to inadequate surveillance systems.
In her first public statement since the audacious heist on Sunday, Laurence des Cars told French senators that the museum’s perimeter CCTV was both weak and outdated.
She stated that the sole camera monitoring the exterior wall where the break-in occurred was misaligned, failing to capture the first-floor balcony leading to the Gallery of Apollo, where the jewels were housed.
“We failed these jewels,” des Cars admitted, emphasizing that even the Louvre is vulnerable to “brutal criminals.”
Despite prior assurances from government ministers downplaying security failures, des Cars candidly conceded that the Louvre had been “defeated.”
Her remarks offered an unusually frank assessment of the challenges in securing the world’s most visited museum, and underscored the extent of its security vulnerabilities.
Des Cars described the Louvre’s external CCTV system as “very unsatisfactory,” and noted that some interior areas were too antiquated to accommodate modern surveillance technologies.
Despite attracting 8.7 million visitors last year, investment in security has been slow, highlighting the budgetary constraints faced by major cultural institutions.
Des Cars, who assumed the directorship in 2021, expressed her intention to double the number of CCTV cameras.
She revealed that she was warned about the “obsolete” nature of the Louvre’s equipment upon taking the position, a stark contrast to the modern systems at the Musée d’Orsay, where she previously worked.
During Wednesday’s hearing, some senators expressed disbelief at the museum’s security arrangements, questioning the presence of only one camera on the external wall facing the river and its incorrect positioning.
This oversight allowed the thieves’ vehicle, equipped with a mechanical ladder to reach the Gallery of Apollo’s first floor, to arrive undetected.
“There is a weakness at the Louvre, and I acknowledge it completely,” des Cars told the senators.
She commended the security guards for their swift response in evacuating the building upon discovering the intrusion, but admitted: “We did not spot the arrival of the thieves early enough… the weakness of our perimeter protection is known.”
The museum reopened on Wednesday, although the gallery where the theft occurred remained closed.
The Louvre houses a vast collection of priceless artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The search continues for the four individuals who, in under 10 minutes on Sunday morning, breached the museum’s security and made off with eight valuable pieces of jewelry, including a diamond and emerald necklace once owned by Emperor Napoleon’s wife.
During their escape, the thieves dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugenie. Although recovered, the crown sustained damage, likely from being forcibly removed from its display case, according to des Cars.
“Initial assessments suggest that a delicate restoration is possible,” des Cars stated.
The museum reopened on Wednesday, although the gallery where the theft occurred remained closed.
The Louvre houses a vast collection of priceless artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The search continues for the four individuals who, in under 10 minutes on Sunday morning, breached the museum’s security and made off with eight valuable pieces of jewelry, including a diamond and emerald necklace once owned by Emperor Napoleon’s wife.
During their escape, the thieves dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugenie. Although recovered, the crown sustained damage, likely from being forcibly removed from its display case, according to des Cars.
“Initial assessments suggest that a delicate restoration is possible,” des Cars stated.
Other issues raised during the hearing included cuts in surveillance and security staffing over the past decade and aging infrastructure that could not handle the latest generation of video equipment.
The director hopes that work to improve security will begin at the start of 2026.
However, it is expected to be challenging given the aging infrastructure of what was once a royal palace.
Des Cars said she had tendered her resignation to the culture ministry after the heist but had been refused. She told senators she had been raising concerns about the state of the Louvre for some time.
She became animated, even indignant, as she defended herself from media allegations that she prioritised her own comfort ahead of protecting the Louvre and its historic collections.
“I am wounded as chair and director that the warnings I was raising, as a whistle-blower, in a sense, have come to pass last Sunday.
“We’ve had a terrible failure at the Louvre. I’ve taken responsibility for it,” she said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France’s Europe1 radio on Wednesday that he had “every confidence” the thieves would be caught.
Prosecutors have said their theory is that the robbers were under orders for a criminal organisation.
The famous Paris museum reopened on Wednesday, three days after millions of euros worth of jewellery stolen in broad daylight.
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