Security lapses: the hypothesis that explains the theft of Louvre jewels

Paris / BarcelonaThe day after the spectacular robbery at the LouvreThe museum has not opened its doors. Police are still searching for clues to try to identify and arrest the thieves and understand why the four men were able to enter and leave with impunity with jewels from the French Treasury of "incalculable heritage value." How is such a robbery possible in daylight, with visitors inside, in one of the world's largest museums? Official information is distributed in dribs and drabs, but all indications point to serious security shortcomings, denounced not only by unions but also by the French Court of Auditors.

A report by this public institution, which was in the final stages and has not yet been officially published, warns of "considerable" and "persistent" delays in modernizing security equipment. Among the most obvious problems are the lack of video surveillance cameras and malfunctioning alarms. One hypothesis on the table, yet to be confirmed, is that the alarm on the window the thieves used to enter the museum was not activated or was activated late. It is also common for some rooms to be closed due to lack of staff.

In the Denon Wing, where the Apollo Gallery is located—where the thieves stole the jewels—and also The Mona LisaA third of the museum's galleries have no security cameras at all. Others only have one. "Under the effect of increasing traffic, the obsolescence cycle of the museum's technical equipment has accelerated much more significantly than the pace of investment made by the establishment to remedy it," the Court of Auditors report states, according to the extracts it publishes. Le Monde.

Few cameras

While The Mona Lisa —the Louvre's most famous work, which was stolen in 1911 and recovered two years later—is on display amid heavy security measures. There are rooms housing highly valuable works without cameras. Unions also denounce the lack of staff. In fact, rooms are often closed because there are not enough workers to monitor them. In any case, neither the French government nor the museum's management has officially offered details about the security shortcomings at the Apollo Gallery or the reasons why the theft could not be prevented.

Interior Minister Lauren Nuñez has asked all French museums to increase security and review their security plans. According to another member of the French government, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, the theft has given a "deplorable" image of France. Police are still searching for the four perpetrators of the theft of jewels from the French treasury of the Bonaparte dynasty, including a tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie.

Theft by contract

Although President Emmanuel Macron promised on Sunday that the attackers would be brought to justice, they had not yet been identified as of Monday. Police are not favoring any of the hypotheses on the table: it could be a robbery commissioned by a collector or a robbery to sell the jewelry, albeit in separate pieces to make them difficult to recognize. The possibility of organized crime, which could be used to launder money, or even an act of foreign interference intended to destabilize the country, has also not been ruled out.

The news has made headlines around the world and made the front pages of hundreds of newspapers. "We have failed," the Minister of Justice asserted. The French far right, which has become the main opposition force, has called the theft "a humiliation."

The Louvre kept its doors closed on Monday and could reopen on Wednesday, given that Tuesday is the only day of the week it is closed. However, hundreds of tourists have been visiting the pyramid to learn about the reopening of the museum, which receives nearly nine million visitors a year.

Timeline of Napoleon's jewel theft from the Louvre

The robbery This Sunday's exhibition of Napoleon's jewels at the Louvre Museum in Paris It has left everyone stunned. The theft was surprising due to the thieves' speed, who stole nine pieces from the museum in just seven minutes, although they lost one along the way. A day after the theft, some details of how it happened have emerged. This is the chronology of events: