(Paris, October 19th) The French government acknowledged security lapses at the Louvre Museum, which was robbed on Sunday, and pledged to strengthen heritage protection. Authorities are searching for four suspects involved in the case, which they initially attribute to organized crime.
Shortly after the Louvre opened on Sunday (October 19th), four masked men used a crane to sneak into the museum and steal artifacts, threatening museum security with an angle grinder. They later escaped on a motorcycle.
The French opposition criticized the government for failing to prevent the robbery, saying it brought shame upon the country. Justice Minister Darmanin acknowledged on Monday (October 20th) that the incident had a negative impact on France's image. He told France Internationale radio: "There's no doubt that this was a failure on our part... The French people feel they've been robbed."
President Emmanuel Macron pledged to recover the artifacts and bring the perpetrators to justice. Interior Minister Nunez also stated that the government will continue to strengthen security at the Louvre. According to French officials, these security upgrades include the installation of a new generation of surveillance cameras, a perimeter intrusion detection system, and a new central security command center.
Furthermore, the French Interior Ministry on Monday instructed officials nationwide to "immediately assess existing security measures around cultural institutions and strengthen them where necessary."
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Paris Chief Prosecutor François Berthold said police are searching for four suspects and have set up a 60-person task force to investigate the case. She said the artifacts may have been stolen on commission by a collector, or by thieves simply interested in the gems and precious metals.
The Louvre was temporarily closed following the incident, with soldiers patrolling the entrance to the glass pyramid. An American tourist told AFP that the scene there resembled a Hollywood movie.
The French Ministry of Culture confirmed that nine artifacts were stolen, including necklaces, earrings, brooches, and tiaras. One of the items, a tiara encrusted with thousands of diamonds and gemstones and belonging to Napoleon III's empress, Eugenie, was later found outside the museum. Drouot auction house in Paris said the tiara alone is worth tens of millions of euros, but that the stolen goods are unlikely to be sold in their current state.
The Louvre will remain closed on Monday. Since it typically closes on Tuesdays, it may not reopen until Wednesday at the earliest.
