Three women from the same family have been sentenced to prison by Monaco’s criminal court after admitting to a series of luxury handbag thefts carried out in the Principality over the past year.
The defendants, two cousins aged 63 and 52, and the younger woman’s 22-year-old daughter, were arrested on January 17, 2026, and charged with theft, criminal association, and related offences. The court heard that two high-value Hermès bags were stolen in separate incidents, one from a Monte-Carlo antiques dealer in December 2024 and another from an auction house in January 2025, with the items believed to have been resold on the black market.
As reported by Monaco Matin, investigators were able to identify the suspects through a combination of CCTV footage, DNA traces found on a catalogue handled during the second theft, and international cooperation via Interpol, which linked the women to previous group thefts of luxury accessories.
Initially denying any involvement while in custody, the women changed their position during the hearing. The youngest, who has no prior convictions, told the court she believed she had been asked only to distract staff and said she now regrets her actions. One of the older defendants claimed she had acted under pressure, while prosecutors argued that the thefts were carefully organised, with each woman playing a specific role to divert attention during the crimes.
The prosecution requested prison terms and long-term bans from the Principality, stressing that Monaco had been deliberately targeted. Defence lawyers acknowledged the thefts but contested the charge of criminal association, citing difficult personal circumstances and calling for leniency.
The court sentenced the youngest defendant to eight months in prison, while the two cousins received two-year sentences. All three were also given a ten-year ban on residing in Monaco. Civil claims for compensation filed by the affected businesses were upheld, and the women were returned to custody following the verdict.
