Louvre chief says heist enabled by CCTV gaps, offers to resign

The director of the Louvre on Wednesday admitted there was inadequate security camera coverage of the outside walls of the museum, three days after a brazen daytime heist stunned the French capital.

Senators grilled Laurence des Cars over how thieves were able on Sunday to make off with an estimated €88 million (US$102 million) in jewels from the world-famous museum in just seven minutes.

The heist has renewed scrutiny of security at French museums.

“Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on a daily basis, we failed,” des Cars told lawmakers in her first public statement since Sunday.

Des Cars said all alarms had functioned during the burglary, but admitted that security cameras did not adequately cover the thieves’ point of entry.

“The only camera installed is directed westward and therefore did not cover the balcony involved in the break-in,” she said.