"On October 19, 2025, thieves broke into France's most famous museum and stole €88m ($ 101,810,280.00) worth of Napoleonic jewels. They pulled off this unthinkable heist with no more than a furniture lift, disc cutters, hi-viz disguises, and scooters to escape. Here’s how this robbery was done."--Charlie mccasland, 6th grade
On October 19, 2025, thieves broke into France's most famous museum and stole €88m ($ 101,810,280.00) worth of Napoleonic jewels. They pulled off this unthinkable heist with no more than a furniture lift, disc cutters, hi-viz disguises, and scooters to escape. Here’s how this robbery was done.
At 9:30 (local time in France), the thieves began their carefully crafted plan: they would break into the wing of the louvre currently under construction near the Seine River, on the south side of the museum. They did so in hi-viz vests to disguise themselves as workers. Then they broke out the furniture lift that they had stolen nine days earlier, according to the Guardian. Using disc cutters to open the jewelry cases after smashing a window, and making off with nine pieces of jewelry. Finally, they made their grand escape using Yamaha scooters that were waiting with their accomplice.
The robbers stole (according to CNN): A sapphire and diamond diadem, necklace and earring; An emerald necklace and earrings; The reliquary brooch; A diamond bow-brooch and diadem of princess Eugénie; And the empress’s crown. Which was later found at the scene, damaged. According to The Moment, “It was the first theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Corot was stolen and never seen again.”
Even though, According to the New York Times, “Laurence des Cars, the head of the Louvre, acknowledged during a tense Senate hearing last week that much of the museum’s security system was badly outdated and that the only exterior camera near where the thieves broke in was facing away from them,” they also mention that “The police have made arrests in the brazen jewelry heist last week at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the French authorities said on Sunday.” Recently it has been revealed that seven people have been arrested, although the names are still unreleased.
When kids at OSA were polled, 10.5% were not surprised by the robbery, while 5.3% were. Violet Hirsch, a Literary Arts 6th grader, said that “I never thought that any thief would have the nerve to break into the Louvre!” 21.1% of people agreed. In addition, 36.8% of students agreed that the thieves were experienced criminals.
This is not the first time the Louvre has been robbed, and it probably won’t be the last. Authorities have to be ready for the next group of bold criminals, or else who knows what thieves might steal next.
At 9:30 (local time in France), the thieves began their carefully crafted plan: they would break into the wing of the louvre currently under construction near the Seine River, on the south side of the museum. They did so in hi-viz vests to disguise themselves as workers. Then they broke out the furniture lift that they had stolen nine days earlier, according to the Guardian. Using disc cutters to open the jewelry cases after smashing a window, and making off with nine pieces of jewelry. Finally, they made their grand escape using Yamaha scooters that were waiting with their accomplice.
The robbers stole (according to CNN): A sapphire and diamond diadem, necklace and earring; An emerald necklace and earrings; The reliquary brooch; A diamond bow-brooch and diadem of princess Eugénie; And the empress’s crown. Which was later found at the scene, damaged. According to The Moment, “It was the first theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Corot was stolen and never seen again.”
Even though, According to the New York Times, “Laurence des Cars, the head of the Louvre, acknowledged during a tense Senate hearing last week that much of the museum’s security system was badly outdated and that the only exterior camera near where the thieves broke in was facing away from them,” they also mention that “The police have made arrests in the brazen jewelry heist last week at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the French authorities said on Sunday.” Recently it has been revealed that seven people have been arrested, although the names are still unreleased.
When kids at OSA were polled, 10.5% were not surprised by the robbery, while 5.3% were. Violet Hirsch, a Literary Arts 6th grader, said that “I never thought that any thief would have the nerve to break into the Louvre!” 21.1% of people agreed. In addition, 36.8% of students agreed that the thieves were experienced criminals.
This is not the first time the Louvre has been robbed, and it probably won’t be the last. Authorities have to be ready for the next group of bold criminals, or else who knows what thieves might steal next.
