France’s Court of Auditors has condemned the Louvre Museum for what it described as “woefully inadequate” security measures following last month’s spectacular jewel heist in which robbers escaped with some of France’s crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million.
Presenting the audit report on Thursday, the court’s president, Pierre Moscovici, said the incident was a “deafening wake-up call” and revealed serious management lapses in safeguarding the world’s most-visited art museum.
According to the report, upgrades to the Louvre’s security system have progressed at an unacceptably slow pace, as management focused instead on “high-profile and attractive operations” rather than core safety concerns.
The October 19 daylight raid, carried out by a four-member gang, lasted only seven minutes. The thieves used a truck with an extendable ladder to access the museum’s Apollo Gallery, smashed a window, and used angle grinders to cut open display cases housing priceless jewels.
Among the stolen items were eight pieces of jewellery, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace given by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise. The thieves reportedly dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, as they fled the scene on scooters.
So far, four suspects — three directly linked to the robbery — have been charged and detained, but the stolen jewels remain missing.
The audit report, which reviewed the museum’s management between 2018 and 2024, concluded that investment decisions were made “at the expense of building maintenance and security systems.” It also noted “persistent delays” in deploying protective equipment for artworks.
While the Louvre’s management said it accepted most of the court’s recommendations, it maintained that the report did not fully acknowledge its ongoing security improvements.
The findings align with an administrative inquiry unveiled last week by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, which exposed a “chronic underestimation” of intrusion risks and called for the creation of a new high-level security department.
The Louvre’s board is set to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to address the recommendations and strengthen its security framework.
