Roman Polanski

[dimity_blue]

I saw in the news that he was arrested in Switzerland and, last I heard, he may be extradited to the US to finally face up to his crime.

Good! Personally, I hope they stick him in jail. I don't give a damn that he's a celebrated film maker or that he's had an awful life, he drugged, raped and sodomised a 13 year old child.

(Not that it would have been better if he'd done that to a fully grown adult.)

I think he should consider himself lucky he plea bargained it down to 'sexual misdemeanour with a minor', and hope the courts let him off easily.

Link to the BBC 'on this day' report.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

I've been amaze at how pro-Roman public opinion seems to be.

In addition to what you said, he knowingly lived as a fugitive from justice for over 30 years -- with the money he has, all he had to do was hire a lawyer, probably pay a fine, and it would have gone away (apparently there was some prosecutorial misconduct at the time, so I doubt jail time would have been involved.) But no, he chose to say NYAH NYAH NYAH for 32 years, so book 'im, Danno.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

Well, it was plea bargained down to a sexual misdemeanour, so at best he'd get a slap on the wrist. It really does sicken me that people seem to think it's perfectly okay to rape a child, as long as you give her champagne first and make sure that you're A) famous, and B) had a hard life. Cry me a river!

I know there'll be people who defend him anyway, but I think part of the problem is that a lot of people don't actually know what he did. So they may have this idea that he seduced her. My Mum didn't think it was that big of a deal until I pointed out the drugged and sodomised part. ::rolls eyes::

[catzslave.livejournal.com]

Geez! My daughter is 15 and I guarantee I would have flipped if an adult had "seduced" her, I can only image what her parents went through when their child was drugged/raped/sodomized. I'm glad he was stupid and fled. It's much more satisfying that the hand of justice caught up with him when they won't treat his crime so lightly now as they would have back in the 70's.

I can't even image how the child feels at this point, left wondering all these years when/if he'd ever be caught.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

From what I've heard, the lady in question has forgiven him and moved on - not that she had any choice. She also came forward and gave up her anonymity years ago. I don't know whether she's regretted that, but she (apparently) doesn't want him brought back to face trial, because of all the attention his fame brings to her life.

I feel incredibly sorry for her. I hope they won't have to retry him for the rape case, just decide on his sentencing and try him for fleeing the country.

As for the lady's mother, she was criticised badly, and is being criticised now. It was (somehow) her fault for 'pimping' her child out (despite the fact she called the police). I think she was pretty naive to trust Polanski, but her actions show she had no idea what he'd do. :o( The kid went to Polanski's house to be photographed for the French Vogue. I don't think she should have gone without an escort, but she did. Maybe Polanski insisted, and I guess the mother thought it'd be okay.