False child-bride wedding provokes investigation into Disneyland Paris

(MENAFN) French authorities have launched an investigation after a staged wedding involving a young Ukrainian girl at Disneyland Paris raised serious concerns among staff.

The event, which took place early Saturday morning outside regular park hours, was flagged by employees who noticed a girl, estimated to be around nine years old, dressed as a bride. The incident occurred during a private event booked for €130,000 (about $150,000), according to Le Parisien.

Upon investigation, police determined that the gathering was not an actual wedding but a staged ceremony involving around 100 hired extras. The Meaux prosecutor’s office clarified, “It wasn’t a real wedding, but a simulated event filmed to appear like one.”

Four individuals were initially detained, with two remaining in custody as of Sunday. One is a 22-year-old British man believed to have organized the event and acted as the groom. A 24-year-old Latvian woman is also being questioned on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

Authorities confirmed that the child, a Ukrainian national, had not been harmed and was not subjected to coercion. Her 41-year-old mother and a 55-year-old Latvian man were released after questioning.

An attendee told France Inter radio she initially thought the wedding was real but grew alarmed upon seeing a small child in a wedding dress. “That’s when I understood the child was very young,” she said.

Disneyland Paris quickly canceled the event upon noticing irregularities and contacted law enforcement. “We cooperated fully and filed our own legal complaint,” a park representative stated.

The motives behind the elaborate fake ceremony and the child’s specific role remain under investigation.

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