Authorities are investigating after Disneyland Paris employees reported a possible staged wedding involving a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl, leading to the questioning of two individuals.
French police are questioning two individuals after Disneyland Paris staff became suspicious of a potentially fabricated wedding ceremony, allegedly involving a nine-year-old girl from Ukraine.
According to Le Parisien, a man booked the Disneyland Paris complex for a private event several weeks prior, at a cost of €130,000 ($150,000). The event was scheduled outside of regular park hours, with the alleged ceremony taking place early Saturday morning.
Staff and security reportedly became concerned after noticing a girl in a wedding dress who appeared to be underage. Police were called, and the Meaux prosecutor’s office stated that the “marriage” was staged.
“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.
Initially, four people were taken into custody; however, only two remained for questioning on Sunday, suspected of fraud and money laundering. AFP reported that among those questioned was a 22-year-old man, believed to be British, who allegedly organized the event and posed as the groom. 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 stated.
The child’s 41-year-old mother and a 55-year-old Latvian man were reportedly released after being questioned.
One of the extras, who believed she was attending 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.
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 motive for staging the fake wedding and the child’s precise role in the event are currently unknown. The park is cooperating with authorities and has filed its own legal complaint.
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