Earlier this week, French national broadcaster France Télévisions released previously unseen footage of the brazen October robbery at the Louvre, in which thieves made off with $102 million in crown jewels.
The four-minute video, aired on the investigative program Complément d’enquête, shows the thieves rushing into the gallery and smashing several display cases—using both their fists and an angle grinder—while security guards stand just a few feet away. As reported by El País and the Times of London, the guards are seen from multiple angles remaining largely motionless as the scene unfolds. One guard appears to confront the thieves with a rope stanchion before backing down; another makes a phone call. The rest do little more than watch.
The footage appears to confirm findings from a security audit released in October, as well as testimony given during Senate hearings held in the robbery’s aftermath. The audit concluded that the museum’s security system was “outdated and inadequate,” citing a severe lack of functioning security cameras. During one of the first hearings, Louvre director Laurence des Cars said the robbery had not been recorded because the sole camera covering the gallery was facing the wrong direction.
Investigators later discovered that additional footage did exist, captured by a camera near the point of entry. However, as revealed at the hearings, it took guards eight minutes to access the correct feed during the break-in, as the Louvre’s security control room lacked enough monitors to view all camera feeds simultaneously. By the time the relevant footage appeared on screen, the thieves were already escaping.
For a country still reeling from the heist, the newly released video is likely to intensify public anger and criticism that the Louvre was woefully unprepared to protect its treasures. The Louvre has not yet publicly commented on the newly released footage.
Have a look at the footage below:
