Burglar Breaks Into La-Tour-Koenig School via Girls' Toilets, Steals Rs 70,000 in Cables

A secondary school in La-Tour-Koenig, a residential area in the northwest of Mauritius, was targeted by a burglar who used an unusual entry point to gain access to the premises: the girls' toilet block.

The break-in is believed to have taken place sometime between 9 and 12 October, when the school was unoccupied. The intruder managed to enter the school compound by passing through the girls' bathrooms, before making off with electrical cables estimated to be worth Rs 70,000.

School authorities reported the theft upon discovering the loss, and police have since opened a formal investigation to identify and locate the suspect.

The school is equipped with closed-circuit television cameras, and investigators are currently reviewing the surveillance footage in the hope of identifying the individual responsible. No arrest has been announced at the time of reporting.

Cable theft is a recurring problem at public and private institutions in Mauritius. Copper and other metal cables carry resale value on the secondhand market, making them a frequent target for opportunistic thieves, particularly when premises are left unattended over weekends or school holidays.

La-Tour-Koenig falls under the Pamplemousses district and is home to several schools serving the surrounding communities. The identity of the specific institution has not been disclosed in the original report.

What this means: For school administrators across Mauritius, this incident is a reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist in school infrastructure, particularly during extended periods of closure. While surveillance cameras are in place at this school, the ease with which the intruder accessed the site through a bathroom entry point raises questions about perimeter security at educational establishments. Parents, staff, and education authorities may want to consider whether existing security measures are sufficient to deter similar incidents.

Source: ION News