A British man has been charged in connection with organizing a “mock wedding” involving a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl at Disneyland Paris. French prosecutors revealed that the 39-year-old man, whose name has not been made public, is a convicted sexual offender wanted in the United Kingdom. Police were alerted to the situation at the amusement park on Saturday morning by a hired guest who was unaware that the “bride” was a child until the last moment.
This guest, who was paid €12,000 to play the father of the bride, informed Meaux prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier that he initially did not realize the bride was a minor. Prosecutors stated that the girl, who had arrived in France two days earlier, was not subjected to physical or sexual violence and had not been coerced into playing the role of the bride. A woman hired to play a guest shared her shock, saying she was deeply disturbed upon seeing a “little girl dressed in white” at the event.
“When I saw it was a child – it was horrific,” she said tearfully. About 100 French extras were recruited for the staged ceremony, which was intended to be privately filmed. Reports suggest that the British man had rented Disneyland Paris for several hours for the stunt, during which he was to play the groom.
Preliminary findings indicate that his appearance had been professionally altered.
British suspect detained in Disneyland scheme
In addition to the British man, three other individuals were arrested: the girl’s 41-year-old mother, a 24-year-old Latvian woman who was to play the bride’s sister, and a 55-year-old Latvian man.
As of Tuesday, only the British man remained in custody. On June 23, the British man and the Latvian woman appeared before a judge in Meaux. The man was charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and identity theft, and was placed in pretrial detention.
The Latvian woman is currently considered a witness. The prosecutor’s statement indicated that Disneyland Paris had been “deceived,” as the organiser had used a fake Latvian ID to book the venue. Renting Disneyland Paris outside of regular operating hours is available to the public.
The “mock wedding” might have cost the organiser over €130,000 (£110,000). Prosecutor Bladier also noted that the British man had previous convictions, including sexual offences against minors, and is listed in the UK database of sexual offenders. He is currently wanted by UK judicial authorities for breaching requirements associated with his offences.
The motive behind the stunt remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.
