French police probe fake Disneyland 'marriage' with nine-year-old
French police were on Sunday probing the circumstances of a bizarre stunt at Disneyland outside of Paris, with a group of adults suspected of hiring the theme park and paying hundreds of extras to stage a fake marriage for a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl.
Two people were held for questioning in the case, which initially caused alarm when staff alerted police on Saturday that it could have concerned an illegal child marriage.
But investigators now believe that the so-called "marriage" was staged, with the girl's mother reportedly saying that she wanted her to feel like a Disney "princess" for the day.
"The event turned out to be a staged event, with the guests themselves extras" invited to be part of the stunt, deputy prosecutor Alexandre Verney said.
"So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They hired Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding," he told AFP.
Four people were arrested and taken into custody, and the questioning of two of them -- suspected of fraud and money laundering -- was extended on Saturday evening.
They are the so-called "groom" who is believed to be behind the event, 22 years old and "presumed to be British", and a Latvian woman, 24, said a source close to the case.
However, the other two people detained -- a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman, and a 55-year-old Latvian man -- were released.
The investigations, including a medical examination of the nine-year-old girl, a Ukrainian national, found that "she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts," the prosecutor's office said.
According to the Le Parisien daily, which first reported the incident, a man had several weeks previously hired the Disneyland Paris complex for a sum of 130,000 euros ($150,000) for several hours before it opened to the public.
Staff were astonished when the nine-year-old appeared wearing high heels on Saturday morning, barely able to stand in the elaborate footwear, and they alerted the authorities, it said.
The paper said the man who organised the event had submitted false documents concerning his identity and Disneyland filed a complaint.
Hundreds of extras were bussed in to play the part of the guests, it said, while the girl's mother told investigators she wanted to organise a "day worthy of a princess" for her daughter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
BBC newsreader Martine Croxall corrects ‘pregnant people' to ‘women' in viral autocue moment
Author JK Rowling has praised BBC newsreader Martine Croxall after she refused to refer to 'pregnant people' live on air. The Harry Potter writer, 59, joked that she had a 'new favourite BBC presenter' after Croxall overruled her autocue which referred to 'pregnant people' being at risk during the recent hot weather. Rowling has been a prominent women's rights campaigner and has often been vocal on what she calls 'sex-based rights' for several years. In the clip from a recent BBC News show, Croxall introduces comments from new research about the number of heat-related deaths expected during the ongoing hot weather period. However, as she reads along the autocue, she raises an eyebrow and smirks at the camera after having to say 'pregnant people' could be at risk in the heat. She then quickly overrides this, saying 'women' instead, before moving on with the rest of the script. 'Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, said the aged, pregnant people — women! — and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions,' Croxall reads. Reposting the clip on X, Rowling praised the BBC presenter, saying she was her 'new favourite'. It is understood that the term 'pregnant people' had been written by the researchers and was being quoted, rather than the BBC having written the phrase. I have a new favourite BBC presenter. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 22, 2025 Other commenters also jumped in to praise 'brilliant' Croxall, with one saying, 'I hope you don't get hauled before the BBC News break.' In response, Croxall joked, 'Braced x'. The journalist also addressed the recent uptake in her following in a post on X on Sunday. 'A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It's been quite a ride …' she wrote. Croxall has been a veteran broadcaster for the BBC, having first joined the company more than 30 years ago in 1991. She then began working for the BBC News team in 2001. This comes just weeks after the same presenter challenged a transgender activist who questioned whether the definition of a woman could be determined by biological sex. While interviewing ex-Labour Scottish Parliament candidate Heather Herbert, following the Supreme Court's ruling that the term women referred to one's biological sex, Croxall found herself in a heated debate. A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride… — Martine Croxall (@MartineBBC) June 22, 2025 During a conversation on clarifying 'what the word woman means', Ms Herbert declared she felt like she was 'under attack' from Croxall's questioning. The veteran BBC newsreader countered by questioning how it could be an 'attack' when all she was asking for was clarification. She then told Ms Herbert that the ruling made it clear 'sex is binary and immutable' after the trans activist denied that local authorities — who have not protected single sex spaces based on biological sex — may have to reverse policies as a result of the ruling.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Unclipped with Grace Brown: One Size Fits None - Why the UCI's New Rules Fall Short
Rider safety can't be fixed with a handlebar rule, and the peloton knows it. Grace unpacks why the latest UCI changes miss the mark. Plus, Lorena Wiebes took the win at the inaugural Copenhagen Sprint Women, and didn't hold back in calling out the lack of basic safety on course.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Police called after creepy child bride Disneyland ‘wedding'
A British man has been arrested after he allegedly attempted to stage a fake wedding to a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris. The 22-year-old man was reportedly acting as the 'groom' in the bizarre ceremony, which took place on Saturday morning in front of the famous Sleeping Beauty castle, according to The Sunday Times. Following his arrest, he told police that the spectacle was intended as a video for social media. Disneyland Paris staff became suspicious and alerted authorities after noticing the bride appeared alarmingly young. The presence of her family and a large number of guests also raised concerns. It was later revealed that many of the 'wedding guests' were hired actors who had been transported to the park and given minimal information about the nature of the event. When Seine-et-Marne Police arrived on the scene, they found the child dressed in a bridal dress and wearing four-inch heels that had been taped to her feet. The 'groom' was taken into custody, along with the girl's mother, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman. Alexandre Verney, Assistant Prosecutor for the Seine-et-Marne region, confirmed that the young girl underwent a medical examination and was found to be unharmed. Mr Verney also confirmed that two Latvian nationals, aged 24 and 55, were arrested in connection with the strange incident. According to local reports, the 55-year-old Latvian told authorities he had been paid €12,000 (AU$21,550) to play the role of the bride's father but only learned the girl's age shortly before the event. The child's mother and the 55-year-old have since been released from police custody, while the British man and 24-year-old Latvian remain detained on suspicion of financial fraud. Authorities believe that Disneyland Paris was misled about the nature of the event, with the organiser assuming the identity of a Latvian national and using fake documents to secure permission to hold a private event at the park. A video obtained by a French news outlet reportedly shows around 100 guests seated as a violin trio performed in front of a flower-adorned stage. One source who claims to have been a wedding guest told a French newspaper that everyone was 'stunned' by what had unfolded. 'We all thought we were going to attend a one expected it,' she said. 'Disneyland did things very well. They cancelled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that.' A criminal investigation is now underway.
