• Thieves took crown jewels valued at $102 million from the Louvre.
• A Senate inquiry highlights security failures that allowed a quick escape.
• Only one of two security cameras was operational at the time of the heist.
• Management's failure to act on prior security audits is under scrutiny.
• All four suspects have been arrested, but the jewels remain missing.

The thieves who stole crown jewels from the Louvre on October 19 managed to escape with just 30 seconds to spare due to significant security failures, according to a report by Le Monde. The investigation revealed that only one of two cameras was functioning at the break-in point, and security agents lacked enough screens to monitor footage in real time. Moreover, police were sent to the incorrect location initially after the alarm was activated.

The inquiry led by Noël Corbin, head of the Senate’s culture committee, stated that timely police intervention could have occurred within that brief window. “Give or take 30 seconds, guards or police could have intercepted them,” he noted, stressing that outdated security measures and poor coordination significantly contributed to the lapse in safety, according to the Los Angeles Times and South China Morning Post.

Investigators underscored that the balcony used by the thieves had previously been identified as a weak point, with recommendations made to improve security going unaddressed. Corbin emphasized that “The recommendations were not acted on and they would have enabled us to avoid this robbery,” indicating that lapses in oversight by museum management significantly contributed to the theft, as detailed by Reuters and Le Monde.

Following the theft, which involved four assailants who escaped on motorcycles after executing the heist in a mere 10 minutes, all suspects have reportedly been arrested, but the stolen jewels have yet to be recovered. The scandal has intensified scrutiny on the Louvre's director, Laurence des Cars, who may face questioning regarding her role in the security failures, according to Los Angeles Times and Reuters.