Louvre employees confused robbery with terrorist attack, French press reveals

The vehicles say, for example, that the Louvre’s alarms took a long time to sound, which allowed the thieves to spend seven minutes inside the gallery. There, they stole the eight jewels, leaving behind Empress Eugênia’s crown.

The newspaper Le Figaro highlights that the Louvre’s security system is so archaic that not all rooms have security cameras. The newspaper Libération received information that the museum staff’s lack of preparation was so great that, at first, security agents thought the thieves’ actions were a terrorist attack.

The president of the Louvre Museum, Laurence Descartes, was summoned to provide clarifications. She will be heard this Wednesday (22) by the Cultural Affairs Committee of the French Senate.

For now, there is still no clue about this command of four people who broke into and robbed the museum.

Investigators from the French Banditry Repression Brigade, together with those from the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Cultural Goods, recovered more evidence from the bandits who carried out the robbery at the Louvre Museum, in Paris, last Sunday (19).

According to the newspaper Le Parisien, police recovered a helmet from a motorcycle belonging to one of the criminals and also gloves worn by them. The bandits arrived on scooters, while the four robbers left on the same motorcycles. The keys to the truck equipped with an elevator, used by the criminals to access the balcony and windows of the Apollon Gallery, were also found.

A forensic analysis will be carried out to try to find marks and DNA in order to locate the criminals. A vest and equipment abandoned at the scene have already been analyzed.

The robbery took place in broad daylight, in front of visitors and security at the Louvre Museum, lasting a total of seven minutes. At around 9:30 am local time, the group cut out a window with a chainsaw. They invaded the famous Apollo Gallery and closed two windows with their faces covered.

The criminals stole nine pieces, all from the 19th century. One of them, Empress Eugénie’s crown, was abandoned by the criminals in their escape. Only Queen Consort Maria Amélia’s necklace, which was also stolen, has 631 diamonds.

Reopening only this Wednesday (22)

Closed since last Sunday (19) for a detailed investigation into the theft of jewelry in one of its rooms, the Louvre Museum, in Paris, France, will only reopen this Wednesday (22). The institution remained closed this Monday (20) and will remain closed this Tuesday (21).

However, the lack of activities and opening during this last day is due to weekly maintenance that takes place on site. Every week it is naturally closed on this day.

Therefore, the reopening is only scheduled for this Wednesday.