LONDON – The president and director of the Louvre Museum in Paris has been summoned to appear before French lawmakers amid the ongoing investigation into the brazen theft of priceless jewels over the weekend.
Laurence des Cars has been summoned to appear before the Culture Committee of France’s Senate on Wednesday to answer questions about museum security and what may have gone wrong on Sunday when nine “priceless” pieces were stolen from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery.
A nationwide manhunt for the thieves has been in full swing since Sunday’s theft, as French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that authorities would catch those responsible for the “attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.”
The thieves went straight to two exhibits, smashed them and made off with a “significant amount of loot,” French Culture Minister Rachida Dati told ABC News.
“They knew exactly where they were going,” Dati said. “It seems very organized and very professional.”
Among the jewels stolen in the brazen daytime robbery was a pearl and diamond tiara from the collection of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, according to the Louvre.
As for whether he believes the jewelry has disappeared forever, Dati said he has “confidence in the investigators.”
“They are the best team ever for this investigation, so I’m pretty confident,” he said. “Some clues were found, so the important thing is not to waste time, especially in this type of case.”
Dati said the evidence gathered so far points to “organized crime,” but added that investigators have not ruled out that the heist could have been an inside job.
A security employee with a dog stands near the Louvre Museum’s glass pyramid as the museum remains closed the day after a spectacular jewel heist by thieves who broke into the monument using a crane and smashing an upstairs window, stealing priceless jewels from an area housing the French crown jewels before escaping on motorcycles, in Paris, France, October 20, 2025.
Benoît Tessier/Reuters
Dati said that as part of beefed up security for the Louvre, he is calling for a police station to be placed inside the museum, rather than just having security at the museum.
Asked by ABC News if he is confident that the priceless works of art and artifacts on display at the Louvre, including Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” are safe, Dati said, “Everything is being examined.”
“The thing to remember about France is that our buildings are historical monuments,” Dati said. “Therefore, it is more complex to insure them.”
A report that the Cour des Comptes, France’s supreme audit institution, will publish in the coming weeks, found a significant delay in the “deployment of equipment intended to guarantee the protection” of the Louvre works between 2019 and 2024.
The report, a portion of which was obtained by ABC News, found that some rooms at the Louvre are not fully protected by a video surveillance system, including the Sully wing, which is only 40% covered by security cameras, and the Richelieu wing, which is only 25% covered by cameras. Napoleon’s stolen jewels were in the Apollo Gallery, which is not in any of those wings.
The report also found that while preliminary studies have been carried out in recent years on how to strengthen security at the Louvre, “operational implementation appears uneven and generally very limited.”
The Louvre remained closed Tuesday amid the ongoing investigation and the museum is refunding tickets already purchased by visitors.
ABC News’ Aicha El Hammar Castaño, Kevin Shalvey and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
