A “staged wedding” allegedly involving a 9-year-old girl led to several arrests at Disneyland Paris this weekend, per multiple reports.
Per a report from the London-based Sunday Times, a 22-year-old British man was among those “arrested and questioned” in connection with the incident on Sunday (June 22).
Local prosecutors said that a total of four people were arrested, including a 22-year-old British “groom” described as “the organizer of the event” and the 9-year-old girl’s mother, described in reports as a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman.
An assistant prosecutor reportedly accused the organizer of claiming that the event was “a real marriage,” though it was, in fact, a “staged” one. The incident was set to be filmed with the help of hundreds of extras, prosecutors further alleged.
Per a report from Le Parisien, witnesses said that Disney park officials were not made aware of the “staged” nature of the incident, nor were they informed ahead of time of any filming plans. Park officials reportedly immediately intervened once the nature of the incident was revealed.
Complex has reached out to reps for Disneyland Paris for comment, and this story may be updated.
Of those arrested, two were reportedly held under suspicion of money laundering and fraud, including the 22-year-old “groom.”
