A preliminary report from France’s Court of Auditors has found serious security weaknesses at the world-famous Louvre, where nine pieces of historically valuable jewelry were recently stolen.
According to French media reports, the document cites “constant” and “significant” delays in equipping the museum with technical equipment.
The report notes that these delays created a direct threat to the safety of the exhibits.
The preliminary report indicates that in the halls of the Denon wing, where the Apollo Gallery is located – the site of the theft, a third of the premises are not equipped with CCTV cameras at all.
It is also noted that over the past five years, only 138 cameras have been installed in the museum, and despite an annual budget of 323 million euro, the institution’s management did not take sufficient steps to eliminate the identified risks.
The robbery took place the previous morning at the Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world, which receives thousands of visitors every day and stores about 35 thousand works of art.
The criminals stole nine “priceless” pieces of jewelry from a room known as the Gallery Apollo, where royal jewelry was exhibited. The theft lasted only seven minutes.
According to the investigation, a damaged tiara belonging to the wife of Napoleon III was found outside the museum, presumably dropped by the robbers during their escape.