A shocking incident occurred at Disneyland Paris on Saturday, 21 June, when a 22-year-old British male was arrested after allegedly attempting to stage a pretend wedding ceremony with a nine-year-old child outside the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle, as per The Sunday Times.
The authorities indicated that the man had impersonated the groom and had explained that the whole event was conducted for the sole purpose of generating content for social media. The issue took a critical turn, though, when Disneyland employees noticed that the ‘bride’ seemed to be a child, with which instant concern arose and local law enforcement authorities became involved.
The ceremony had been booked through a pre-booked wedding package, but intervention by staff ended the ceremony. Police found that the guests were primarily paid actors who were recruited with no complete idea of the nature of the event.
4 Arrested, Child Physically Unharmed
Deputy prosecutor Alexandre Verney, of the Seine-et-Marne département, said the child was clinically examined and found to be in no physical distress. Police arrested four people in relation to the offense: the British man who was functioning as the groom, the girl’s 41-year-old Ukrainian mother, and two Latvian citizens aged 24 and 55.
Verney assured that although the mother and the elder Latvian were let out of custody, the British man as well as the 24-year-old Latvian are still under detention. Authorities are currently investigating potential charges of financial fraud.
Eyewitnesses Left in Shock
Attendees at the location were shocked on finding the true identity of the ‘bride’. In an interview with Le Parisien, one of the witnesses stated, “We all believed that we were going to a wedding. Everyone was in shock, no one had expected it.”
Another attendee praised the swift action of the Disneyland staff: “Disneyland did things very well. They cancelled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that.”
The incident has sparked widespread outrage online, raising questions about how such an event was able to proceed within the premises of a world-renowned family destination.