President-Director of the Louvre Jean-Luc Martinez attends the inauguration of the La Boverie Le Louvre museum, in Liège, France on May 4, 2016. JOHN THYS / AFP
Former Louvre boss Jean-Luc Martinez, who oversaw two audits identifying major security issues at the museum in the 2010s, denied neglecting anti-theft measures during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, December 16. Security standards at the world's most visited museum in Paris are facing intense scrutiny following an October heist when thieves stole jewelry worth an estimated $102 million.
The former museum director has until now evaded a scandal that has engulfed his successor Laurence des Cars, who has held the position since 2021. But of two security audits conducted during Martinez's mandate, in 2017 and 2019, one highlighted the "vulnerability" of the balcony used by the thieves during the heist.
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Two months after Louvre heist, French museums remain on high alert
