Suspect Arrested in Theft of Celtic Gold Torque from Musée du Pays Châtillonnais

A suspect in his twenties has been charged and placed in pretrial detention in connection with the theft of the gold torque from the Vix treasure at the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais in Châtillon-sur-Seine. The theft occurred on July 24, 2026, during opening hours, when two individuals broke a display case and fled with the artifact. The investigation is led by the Dijon gendarmerie's research section and the specialized interregional jurisdiction of Nancy. The museum had previously experienced two intrusion attempts in November 2025 and July 2026. The gold torque, dating to 500 BCE, was part of a Celtic princess's funerary assemblage discovered in the 1950s. Following the theft, the Ministry of Culture unveiled a Security Action Plan for heritage institutions, developed since November 2025, which includes mapping sensitive sites, enhancing security training, and integrating security into director objectives. Catherine Pégard cited the Vix theft as an example of museums' vulnerability to organized, rapid theft methods.