British Man Arrested for Staging Fake Wedding to 9-Year-Old in Paris

PARIS, France — A 22-year-old British man was arrested Saturday after allegedly attempting to stage a fake wedding with a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris. The ceremony was scheduled for dawn in front of the park’s iconic Sleeping Beauty castle, as part of a planned video for social media.

Disneyland Paris staff raised concerns when they noticed the young bride, leading them to intervene and contact authorities. According to Alexandre Verney, an assistant prosecutor for the Seine-et-Marne département, it was discovered that the supposed guests were hired actors who had been transported to the park and misled about the event.

The man reportedly told police that the event was intended to be a filming opportunity. Witnesses expressed shock after realizing the bride was a child. One observer stated, “We all thought we were going to attend a wedding. Everyone was stunned, no one expected it.”

The incident led to the arrest of four individuals, including the groom, the child’s mother — a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman — and two Latvian nationals aged 24 and 55. The prosecutor’s office announced that the child was given a medical examination and found to be unharmed. The mother and the older Latvian were released, while the British man and the younger Latvian remain in custody as they face potential charges related to financial fraud.

Authorities revealed that the organized event cost approximately €130,000, and many attendees had been recruited online under false pretenses. Disneyland Paris staff were praised for their swift actions to cancel the event once they realized the nature of the gathering.

“Disneyland did things very well,” a witness noted. “They canceled everything as soon as they realized the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that.” Disneyland Paris has not released an official statement regarding the incident.