Louvre was exposed to heist by chronic underestimation of risk, says French minister

People queue next to the glass Pyramid to enter the Louvre Museum as French police have arrested more suspects linked to the theft of treasures from the Louvre museum's Galerie d'Apollon (Apollo gallery), in Paris, France, October 30, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

(Reuters) -A "chronic, structural underestimation of the risk of intrusions and theft" left the Louvre exposed for over 20 years to the kind of heist the museum experienced this month, French culture minister Rachida Dati said on Friday.

Security gaps contributed to a brazen daylight heist on October 19, in which four hooded thieves made off with eight precious pieces worth $102 million from the museum's Apollo gallery, home to the French Crown Jewels.