Paris
—
There were no surveillance cameras monitoring the second-floor balcony where thieves entered the Louvre to steal historic jewelry worth more than $100 million, the Louvre’s director told a French Senate committee hearing.
Laurence de Caer told senators on Wednesday that the east balcony of the Apollo Gallery, where robbers used an angle grinder to enter the building on Sunday, was not covered by the museum’s aging camera system.
“Unfortunately, on the Apollo Gallery side, the only camera installed is facing west, so the balcony affected by the break-in is not covered,” De Cars told the hearing, as French investigators scrambled to recover the stolen jewelry.
Four days after the robbery, investigators have yet to publicly identify the suspect. Experts warn that jewelry will likely be dismantled for raw materials and artifacts dating back to the Napoleonic era will be destroyed.
The ease with which thieves were able to break into the building during opening hours using a ladder mounted on a truck shocked the nation and raised questions about the vulnerability of the nation’s museums to criminals deploying new tactics.
De Kaal said at the hearing that the “totally outdated and even non-existent technological infrastructure” to monitor the country’s most precious treasures was a “terrible observation” for the world’s largest museum. She said she offered her resignation to Culture Minister Rashida Dati after the robbery, but was rejected.
De Kaal, who took over the role in 2021, said the museum’s weakness lies in the lack of protection of its surroundings, which he said was the result of “chronic underinvestment in equipment and infrastructure”.
The last major renovation of the Louvre took place in the 1980s under former French President Francois Mitterand, who commissioned Chinese-American architect IM Pei to design an entrance befitting the historic venue.
The glass pyramid that now serves as the museum’s entrance opened to the public in 1989, adding a modern face to this storied institution known for displaying some of the world’s finest art.
Des Cars said the renovation project may have created the illusion that there was momentum behind the museum being completely modernized. But she said: “This major modernization project is already 40 years old, and while the facility is outperforming, it has reached its limits.”
The robbery occurred at 9:30 a.m. Sunday when the robbers parked a truck containing a mobile ladder outside the gallery. At 9:34 a.m., they activated the alarm on the second floor door, which sent a signal to the security post.
Security guards inside the auditorium radioed to report the intrusion, and staff began evacuating the public. Alarms were activated in two high-security display cases after the thieves cut a hole in the glass and stole the jewelry. Police were called at 9:36 a.m. A minute later, a message was broadcast asking people to close their doors. By 9:38 a.m., the thieves had left the building.
Surveillance teams outside the museum prevented the suspects from setting their car on fire, but were unable to prevent them from fleeing on scooters along the banks of the Seine. Law enforcement officials said investigators searched the truck for traces of DNA. One of the two scooters and a helmet worn by one of the suspects were recovered, the official added.
De Caze said Wednesday that the security system inside the Apollo Gallery was “working perfectly,” but said it was designed years ago to protect against the biggest risks at the time. For example, the highly secure display cases used to store jewelry were designed to withstand bullets.
“At the time, this was the mainstream method for these types of attacks, such as attacks on valuables, jewelry, and jewelry stores,” De Kaal said. “That’s what the Louvre is protecting itself from.”
What’s needed now, he said, is to adapt systems to “new types of attacks, new ways of operating that weren’t envisioned.”
Mr de Caer said the theft had been a “tremendous shock” for the museum’s staff, the French public and “all those who love the Louvre”.
She suggested measures that could be introduced to strengthen the museum’s security, such as fortifying the Louvre’s outer perimeter and banning car parking nearby. Mr De Case said he was considering whether a police station could be set up inside the museum.
CNN’s John Miller contributed to this report.
