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British man arrested after attempting to stage fake wedding with 9-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris
A British man was taken into custody after allegedly staging a fake wedding with a 9-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris.
A 22-year-old British man has been arrested after allegedly attempting to stage a fake wedding ceremony with a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris, according to a report by The Sunday Times. The shocking incident unfolded on the morning of Saturday, 21 June, in front of the park’s iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle.
(Also read: $900 for breakfast? Cost of Disneyland meal divides internet: 'This is pure theft')
Ceremony intended for social media content
Authorities told The Sunday Times that the man, who posed as the groom in the ceremony, claimed the event was intended purely for the creation of social media content. However, the seriousness of the situation came to light after Disneyland Paris staff raised concerns when they noticed the supposed bride appeared alarmingly young.
The event, scheduled as part of a pre-booked wedding package, quickly came under scrutiny, leading to police intervention. Further investigation revealed that the guests at the wedding were actually hired actors who had been transported to the park with minimal knowledge about the event’s true nature.
Multiple arrests made
Alexandre Verney, assistant prosecutor for the Seine-et-Marne département, confirmed to The Sunday Times that the child was given a medical examination and was found to be physically unharmed. In connection with the incident, police arrested four individuals: the British man alleged to be the groom, the child’s 41-year-old Ukrainian mother, and two Latvian nationals aged 24 and 55.
While the mother and the 55-year-old Latvian have since been released from custody, Verney said the British man and the 24-year-old Latvian remain detained as authorities explore potential charges of financial fraud.
Guests left stunned
Eyewitnesses at the park expressed disbelief upon realising the child’s role in the ceremony. Speaking to French news outlet Le Parisien, one attendee said, “We all thought we were going to attend a wedding. Everyone was stunned, no one expected it.”
(Also read: Woman surprised to see Hong Kong Disneyland nearly empty: ‘Is there a recession?’)
Another added, “Disneyland did things very well. They cancelled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that.”
