French broadcaster France Télévisions aired previously unseen footage of the October 2025 robbery at the Louvre Museum, in which thieves stole crown jewels worth approximately €88 million ($102 million). The four-minute video, shown on the investigative program Complément d'enquête, captures the thieves smashing display cases with their fists and an angle grinder while security guards remain largely motionless nearby. One guard briefly confronts the thieves with a rope stanchion before backing down, and another makes a phone call. The footage corroborates findings from a security audit that deemed the museum's system "outdated and inadequate," with a severe lack of functioning cameras. Louvre director Laurence des Cars had previously stated that the sole camera covering the gallery was facing the wrong direction, and it took guards eight minutes to access the correct feed during the break-in.
The newly released video is likely to intensify public anger and criticism over the Louvre's preparedness to protect its treasures, especially given the scale of the heist and the apparent failures in security protocols. The incident raises serious questions about the safety of cultural heritage in one of the world's most visited museums, and the delayed release of footage may fuel demands for accountability and reform. The Louvre has not yet commented on the footage.