Two suspects have been reportedly questioned after park staff alerted authorities about “marriage” involving a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl
Two people are being questioned by French police after DisneyLand Paris staff raised concerns about a suspected fake wedding ceremony, allegedly involving a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl.
The incident was first reported by Le Parisien, which said a man had rented the Disneyland Paris complex several weeks earlier for a private event costing €130,000 ($150,000). The booking was scheduled outside of regular park hours with the alleged ceremony taking place early Saturday morning.
Staff and security reportedly raised the alarm when they noticed that a girl dressed as a bride appeared to be underage. After police were called to the scene, the Meaux prosecutor’s office said that the “marriage” was staged.
“So it wasn’t a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They privatized Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding,” the magistrate told AFP.
Four people were initially taken into police custody, with two remaining under questioning on Sunday on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. Among them was a 22-year-old man, believed to be British, who allegedly posed as the groom and organized the event, according to AFP. A 24-year-old woman from Latvia was also being questioned.
“The investigations, including the medical examination of the minor, a Ukrainian national, revealed that she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts and that the event turned out to be a set-up, with the guests themselves being extras,” the Meaux prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The child’s 41-year-old mother and a 55-year-old Latvian man were reportedly released after questioning.
One of the extras hired to attend what she believed was a real wedding told France Inter radio: “I saw the panic of the Disney people, then, through the window, I saw a small child with a wedding dress on. A woman was carrying her in her arms and that’s when I understood that the child was really young,” The Guardian reported, citing the broadcaster.
Disneyland Paris told the station: “A private event booked at our destination was immediately cancelled by our staff after irregularities were identified. Police were called and arrived quickly.”
The reason for staging the fake wedding and the child’s exact role in the event remain unclear. The park said it is cooperating with authorities and has filed its own legal complaint.
