We don’t have much to say about the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland, except this: rapists who drug 13-year-old girls should be punished. And also, Polanski’s attorney is going to prove most entertaining: “I’m very shocked by the demand of extradition because, you know, this case has been a very long time — 32 years — and during this time, Mr. Polanski traveled a lot. He couldn’t imagine that he would be arrested in Switzerland.” See, you guys are being totally unfair!
Jerrold
Thanks for finding a nice creepy picture of the guy and not one of the ones the news has been using!
sal(the original)
i cannot believe some people say that because he’s talented it give him some kinda sympathy card…it makes one think if a certain person(rich and famous)does something to you they would get a pass,scary…. one law for the common man another for the rich and famous
sal(the original)
..wall street-free pass,celebrities-free pass….
stevenelliot
It wasnt rape. it was consensual sex. Albeit with an underager, but we’re not talking priest pedophilia here. AND it was like 30 or so years ago. This is why our country has no money. we spend thousand running after this guy for what reason???
sal(the original)
“consensual sex ” yeah thats why he ran away…and dont give me bs about the system was unfair,this was the same system that gave him justice with the manson clan
Cam
@stevenelliot: You said “It wasnt rape. it was consensual sex.”
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Is that a joke? The girl was 13 years old and was given drugs. Seriously, are you kidding?
sal(the original)
there are real people who need support not some big ego freak like this guy…like the french president supporting him,where was that tool when the war refugees were being round up by his forces last week??
sal(the original)
@Cam: ya know!and i could so imagine that girl seeing people with this blind support for this guy,poor girl(woman) must be intimidated..well let some sanity reign,you cant run from the law
sal(the original)
…victims stay quiet especially when the perpetrators are influential folks like PRIESTS(@stevenelliot🙂 and well loved respected folks
sal(the original)
@stevenelliot: so steven it IS like the priest cases
Red Squirrel
The question the post asks is, “Does anyone actually want Roman Polanski to go free?” That person would be Samantha Geimer, the victim, who wants the changes against Polanski to be dropped and filed a formal request to the Los Angeles prosecutor’s office to that effect in January of this year. See the following article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/12/polanski.case/index.html
sal(the original)
@Red Squirrel: yes and if you see she says she is a VICTIM!!!and in her reasoning it still has the power to affect her,let this man rot in a prison for doing this to her and her family and let anyother guy who thinks of doing this not have an example of where the law gives a pat on the back for such things
Red Squirrel
Dear Sal, All I am doing is answering the question posed. The post would have been more meaningful if Mrs Geimer’s comments had been included and then the readers of Queerty could comment on the post more fully. No need for exclamation points or all caps.
Mike
I’ve always wondered why the mother was never charged (much as the pimps, uh, parents of the kids Michael Jackson supposedly abused).
You drop your 13-year-old daughter off at Jack Nicholson’s place so Polanski can photograph her? You had a pretty good idea what might happen.
edgyguy1426
Of course she wants the case dropped.. she got her settlement $$$, there’s nothing left for her now. It doesn’t matter if she’s forgiven the man or not …. statutory rape doesn’t disappear with a ‘take back’ option.
MiKem
equal protection under the law: if gay people are put in jail, given records, and forced to register as a sex-offender for the rest of their lives, even if it was consensual, then it must be the same for straight people.
fuzzypony
A 13-year-old can’t give consent to a 44-year-old. The relationship there is just too unequal. Plus, if what I read elsewhere was right, she said “no” several times, which would make it rape even if she was over the age of consent. Now all the woman probably wants is for this to go away so she can be left in peace.
Cam
@Red Squirrel:
Well of COURSE she is asking now that the charges be dropped. What has she seen over the years? This guy remaining free, getting acolades from hollywood. Her name dragged through the mud by all his celeb friends. If you read her statements, she wants the charges dropped because every time it’s brought up it causes pain to her and her family…..you know, the typical thing that happens to rape victims, they are first raped by the perpetrator, then again in court. Well this girl has a constant stream of articles by famous people that basically say “The little whore was there, it was consensual”. No wonder she wants to put this behind her. But that doesn’t change the facts of the case. She was 13, he was decades older, gave her drugs, alcohol, etc…
blackjack44
@stevenelliot: a 13yr old, drugs, and consensual sex? so im assuming ill be seeing you at the laugh factory or comedy store soon correct? The improv? the Funny Bone? you are a comedian right?
HiredGoons
@sal(the original): she repeatedly said ‘no, don’t, stop.’ It was rape.
DeAnimator
I hope that rapist piece of shit gets his ass ripped open in prison. Have a taste of your own medicine, you sick motherfucker.
sal(the original)
@Cam: amen!!!@HiredGoons: damn right brother/sister it was rape
Jason
Is he a homosexual?
mk
I always feel sort of weird about Polanski since he’s both a sympathetic and horrible figure. It’s tragic about his parents being exterminated in concentration camps while they sent their child to flee the nazis and about his pregnant wife being slaughtered by the Manson clan. The prosecution and defense from the rape case also agree the judge was guilty of misconduct and went back on a plea arrangement for political motivations after Polanski already pled guilty as the arrangement required which is why Polanski fled. On the other hand, the crime was awful and a light sentence would hardly seem like justice even though it sounds like it would have been the norm at the time.
B
Regarding Queerty’s question, “Does Anyone Actually Want Roman Polanski to Go Free?” the answer is obviously “yes” – just ask
Roman Polanski! People who write headlines need a better editor!
GranDiva
@DeAnimator:
But quaaludes aren’t legal anymore…
Fitz
It doesn’t matter if the woman wants the charges dropped. She was 13 when he fucked her, and that means that “We”/ the public, etc. have a stake here too. It is in our best interest (most of us believe) to punish people who fuck children. That he has gotten a pass on it because of his money and status is vile.
KyleR
Is there a statute of limitations for this crime? If so, how long is it? If it has passed why bringing these charges anyways? And if he has already been tried and plead guilty for these charges before, but the case was dropped by a sympathetic Judge for when his wife was murdered, wouldn’t this then fall under the Double Jeopardy rule?
Fitz
@KyleR: No- there is no statue of limitations for fleeing a case, which is what he did.
kelly
There’s an excellent recent documentary on the trial. Polanski accepted a plea bargain at the judge’s recommendation. The judge had his own agenda and Polanski had reason to believe that the judge was going to ignore the plea bargain and throw him in jail anyway and that’s the reason he fled the country.
rrr
@Fitz:
That he has gotten a pass on it because of his money and status is vile.
Is there any reason to believe a french citizen who fled a case like this in the 70s would have been treated differently if he had less money and status? I find it highly unlikely he would be facing extradition now if it weren’t for his fame that has made the case high profile and produces extra outrage from the idea of a celebrity getting away with something.
SuperCat
He was tricked! He was a offered a plea bargain for a lighter sentence then the judge pulled a switcheroo after Roman plead guilty and tried to give him a full sentence.
That was a dirty trick and I don’t care what Roman may or may not have done, you don’t trick someone with a plea bargain like that.
Cam
@SuperCat: You said…”That was a dirty trick and I don’t care what Roman may or may not have done…..
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Really? you don’t care what he did? Well just to refreash your memory here is what he did…
According to grand jury testimony…..you know, the testimony that he agreed to plead guilty to having done…..
Roman Polanski gave the victim alcohol and drugs, ordered her to get into a jacuzzi naked took pictures of her, refused to take her home when she begged to go, began kissing her even though she said no and asked him to stop; performed cunnilingus on her as she said no and asked him to stop; put his penis in her vagina as she said no and asked him to stop; asked if he could penetrate her anally, to which she replied, “No,” then went ahead and did it anyway, until he had an orgasm.
I’m just curious, how many times does the victim have to say “No” before you WOULD care?
Fitz
@rrr: I see your point. But I don’t think someone with less money/power and fewer connections could have fled in the 70’s and not have been returned within the year.