Louvre director Laurence des Cars admitted major security failures after thieves stole €88 million worth of French crown jewels. She revealed outdated CCTV systems and poor perimeter surveillance left the museum vulnerable. Despite prior warnings about obsolete equipment and budget constraints, improvements were delayed. The Louvre plans to double camera coverage as police continue to hunt the gang behind the heist.
Louvre Chief Admits Security Failures After €88m Jewel Heist
The Louvre’s director has admitted that the museum failed to detect a gang of thieves in time to prevent the theft of French crown jewels worth €88 million (£76 million).
Speaking publicly for the first time since Sunday’s heist, Laurence des Cars told French senators that the museum’s CCTV system was both “weak” and “aging.” She revealed that the only exterior camera covering the wall where the thieves broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony leading to the Gallery of Apollo, where the jewels were displayed.
“We failed these jewels,” des Cars said, adding that “no one is protected from brutal criminals — not even the Louvre.”
While government ministers publicly denied any security shortcomings, des Cars acknowledged them outright, saying the museum had been “defeated.” Her remarks offered a striking glimpse into the immense challenge of safeguarding the world’s most visited museum — and the poor state of its security systems.
Des Cars described the Louvre’s exterior surveillance as “very unsatisfactory,” noting that some internal areas were too outdated to integrate modern security technology. Despite attracting 8.7 million visitors last year, she said investment in security had lagged behind, largely due to budget constraints faced by major cultural institutions.
Appointed in 2021, des Cars said she plans to double the number of CCTV cameras at the museum. She had already been warned upon taking office about the “obsolete” equipment, which she compared unfavorably to the modern systems in place at the Musée d’Orsay, where she previously worked.
During Wednesday’s Senate hearing, several lawmakers expressed disbelief that only one camera monitored the Louvre’s exterior wall — and that it faced the wrong direction. That failure meant the lorry carrying the thieves and their mechanical ladder went completely unnoticed as it arrived beneath the Gallery of Apollo.
“There is a weakness at the Louvre, and I acknowledge it completely,” des Cars admitted. She praised security guards for quickly evacuating visitors once the intrusion was detected but conceded: “We did not spot the arrival of the thieves early enough… the weakness of our perimeter protection is known.”
The Louvre reopened to the public on Wednesday, though the Gallery of Apollo remains closed. The museum, which houses masterpieces including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, continues to be at the center of an intense investigation.
Police are still hunting the four-member gang that carried out the theft in less than ten minutes early Sunday morning. They escaped with eight precious items, including a diamond and emerald necklace once gifted by Emperor Napoleon to his wife.
As they fled, the thieves dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugénie. Although recovered, the crown was damaged — likely crushed as it was pried from its display case, according to des Cars.
The director also pointed to staff cuts and outdated infrastructure as key factors behind the museum’s security weaknesses, explaining that some systems could not accommodate new video equipment. She said she hopes security upgrades will begin in early 2026 but warned that modernizing the centuries-old palace would be a major challenge.
Des Cars revealed that she had offered her resignation to the culture ministry after the robbery, but it was rejected. She said she had long raised alarms about the Louvre’s deteriorating facilities and expressed frustration that her warnings had gone unheeded.
“I am wounded as chair and director that the warnings I was raising — as a kind of whistle-blower — have come to pass,” she said. “We’ve had a terrible failure at the Louvre. I’ve taken responsibility for it.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told Europe1 radio that he remains confident the culprits will be caught. Prosecutors believe the thieves acted on orders from a larger criminal organization.