Woman Charged in €88 Million Louvre Jewelry Heist
A 38-year-old woman has been charged with complicity in the theft of approximately €88 million (currently £76 million; $102 million) worth of jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last month.
The woman appeared before a magistrate yesterday and was ordered to remain in custody, following her arrest earlier this week along with four others. Two men previously arrested have already been charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after admitting partial involvement in the October 19th heist. The stolen items included a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and the Marie-Louise necklace. This theft has prompted a review of security protocols at cultural institutions across France.
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the thieves gained access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) using a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift, arriving shortly after the museum opened at 09:30 (07:30 GMT). They used a disc cutter to break into display cases and escaped within four minutes on scooters, later transferring to cars. While one individual arrested this week has been released without charge, authorities believe another participated directly in the robbery. You can learn more about the Louvre Museum and its collections on its official website.
The jewels remain unrecovered, and the Louvre has since transferred some of its most precious pieces to the Bank of France for safekeeping. Officials continue to investigate the whereabouts of the fourth suspect and the stolen jewelry.
