Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Louvre Reopens After Heist as Director Admits Security Failures

Authorities have ordered nationwide museum security reviews following auditor warnings.

Overview

  • The Apollo Gallery remains sealed for investigation, with eight Napoleonic-era pieces still missing and Empress Eugénie’s crown recovered damaged outside.
  • Prosecutors put the loss at about €88 million and confirm the jewels were not privately insured under French rules for national collections.
  • Roughly 60–100 specialists from robbery and cultural‑property units are reviewing CCTV and highway footage and analyzing DNA and fingerprints, pursuing an organized‑crime lead.
  • Louvre chief Laurence des Cars told senators she offered her resignation, cited CCTV blind spots, and pledged upgrades, tighter perimeters and a request for an on‑site police post.
  • A Court of Auditors report flagged delayed security upgrades and limited camera coverage, and ministers acknowledged failures as experts warn the jewels could be dismantled, complicating recovery.