Vid shows Disneyland Paris ‘wedding rehearsal' ahead of ‘marriage' of ‘confused' girl, 9, to Brit man before his arrest

The Sun

5 hours ago

CREEPY footage has emerged of an alleged mock "wedding" between a British man and a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris.
A video released by French network BFM TV shows around 100 guests seated during the £111,000 ceremony in front of the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle.
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Guests are seen waiting for what they had reportedly been told would be 'a chic and elegant' wedding rehearsal.
In the video filmed on Saturday at dawn, a flower-covered stage, lavish décor, a grand cake and musicians can be seen.
But what they witnessed next would leave them horrified - appearing on stage as the 'bride' was a nine-year-old girl.
The child, reportedly of Ukrainian nationality, was carried out as she could not walk in the extravagant bridal dress.
Disney staff immediately called police upon spotting a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet, reports French newspaper Le Parisien.
Disneyland Paris was reportedly deceived about the nature of the event, as reported by The Sun earlier today.
The park said it had rented out the grounds of the Sleeping Beauty Castle under the impression that a genuine wedding rehearsal would take place - not an event involving a minor.
The event cost the organisers $130,000 (£111,000), BFM reported.
The organiser is said to have assumed the "identity of a Latvian national", using "false documents to secure the conclusion of the contract for privatising the park", BFM TV reports.
According to Le Parisien, the man, 22, had presented himself "as a future Irish groom living in Germany".
Cops are said to have immediately arrested the "groom", who later insisted that the purpose of the ceremony was to create a video for social media.
But Disney staff said recording is strictly forbidden, adding that "the man may have devised this subterfuge to obtain images of the park".
The girl's 41-year-old mother, reportedly Ukrainian, was also arrested.
She said she wanted her daughter to feel like a Disney "princess" for the day, according to DW News.
200 adult guests and 100 children aged five to 15 were said to have been recruited online through ads describing a "chic and elegant" "rehearsal" wedding, Le Parisien reported.
They were allegedly paid €200 each and told to "enter the room, sit down, stand up, applaud and participate naturally and elegantly in this event filmed in a festive and classy atmosphere".
A statement issued by the prosecutor's office in the local town of Meaux read: "Four people were arrested and questioned: the groom, who was believed to be the organiser of the event and is presumed to be British and aged 22; the mother of the child, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman; and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24."
A 55-year-old man claimed he was hired to play the role of the "bride's" dad for 12,000 euros (£10,266) - and only discovered her age at the event, local news reports.
The prosecutor's statement added that "police custody of the British suspect and a Latvian national was also extended on charges of fraud and money laundering".
A criminal investigation has been opened, according to the prosecutor's office.
It added that a medical examination confirmed the child had not suffered any violence.
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Officials say they are still trying to understand the nature of the event.
The man posing as the "groom" claimed that he was the director of a production company and that they were shooting a video, a police source told Le Parisien.
A witness, who said they had been a guest at the event, told the newspaper: "We all thought we were going to attend a wedding...
"Everyone was stunned, no one expected it. Disneyland did things very well.
"They cancelled everything as soon as they realized the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that."
Witness Yeleen, who attended the ceremony as a guest with her daughter, said: "I saw a little girl dressed in white.
"I saw her hair prepared with curls and a lady picking her up in her arms.
"At that moment, I was shocked. I realised when I saw the child. It was atrocious."
The prosecutor's office said: "So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras.
"They privatised Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding."
They are set to appear before a judge at Meaux judicial court on Monday as part of a formal judicial investigation.
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