Veteran filmmakers Marco Bellocchio, Wim Wenders, and Claude Lelouch; Oscar winners Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, and Pedro Almodóvar; the French Film Academy; the Cannes Film Festival; and hundreds of other individuals and organizations have signed a petition demanding the release of Roman Polanski, who was arrested by Swiss police – at the behest of the American Justice Department – following his arrival at the Zurich airport on Sept. 26. Polanski was headed to the Zurich Film Festival, where he was to have received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1978, Polanski pleaded guilty to having unlawful intercourse with a minor (13-year-old Samantha Gailey, now Geimer) at a Los Angeles court, but fled to France before he could be sentenced. His court case was the subject of Marina Zenovich’s 2008 documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, which examines improprieties and unethical conduct on the part of those involved in the case, including both the judge and the prosecutors.
Organized by France’s Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD), the petition’s signatories cover the four corners of the globe – it’s not at all a “Hollywood” petition, as some insist on calling it – from Mexicans Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu to Brazilian Walter Salles to Malinese Souleymane Cissé to Americans Michael Mann and Ethan Coen to Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai to British filmmaker Stephen Frears to Dane Henning Carlsen to Italian Michele Placido to Croatian Radovan Tadic to Canadian Xavier Dolan to politically persecuted Chilean author and human rights activist Ariel Dorfman.
Among the other signatories are:
Veteran filmmakers Alexandre Astruc, Michel Deville, David Lynch, Ettore Scola, Mario Monicelli, and Bertrand Tavernier; veteran screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr; Academy Award winners Costa-Gavras, Giuseppe Tornatore, Adrien Brody, Bernardo Bertolucci, Penélope Cruz, Tilda Swinton, Alexander Payne, Fernando Trueba, Ronald Harwood, Danis Tanovic, and Jonathan Demme; screen legend Jeanne Moreau; European Film Award winner Matteo Garrone; actresses Carole Laure, Monica Bellucci, Ludivine Sagnier, Fanny Ardant, Anne Consigny, Stéphanie Murat, Sylvia Kristel, and Asia Argento; actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Robert Hossein, Jean Douchet, Michel Piccoli, and Jacques Perrin; playwright-actress Yasmine Reza; and composers Alexandre Desplat and Vangelis.
Also, filmmakers Fatih Akin, Gianni Amelio, Wes Anderson, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Darren Aronofsky, Olivier Assayas, Christophe Barratier, Juan Antonio Bayona, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Djamel Bennecib, Alain Berliner, Christian Carion, Jean-Michel Carré, Patrice Chéreau, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Bruno de Almeida, Fabrice du Welz, Sam Gabarski, Tony Gatlif, Terry Gilliam, and Laurent Heynemann.
And more: filmmakers Just Jaeckin, Arthur Joffé, Harmony Korinne, Diane Kurys, Emir Kusturica, John Landis, Claude Lanzmann, David Lanzmann, Patrice Leconte, Tonie Marshall, Radu Mihaileanu, Claude Miller, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Brett Ratner, Jerry Schatzberg, Julian Schnabel, Barbet Schroeder, Paolo Sorrentino, Jean-Charles Tacchella, André Techiné, Nadine Trintignant, Tom Tykwer, and Terry Zwigoff.
Plus film editor Hervé de Luze; screenwriter Pierre Jolivet; actor-screenwriter Buck Henry; producer Jean Labadie; Alberto Barbera of Turin’s National Museum of Cinema; Cannes Film Festival director Gilles Jacob; Gianluca Farinelli of the Bologna Cinematheque; LA Weekly and Village Voice film critic Scott Foundas; Kent Jones of the World Cinema Foundation; New York Film Festival director Richard Pena; Polanski biographer Alexandre Tylski; the Belgian Association of Filmmakers; the French Cinematheque; France’s National Union of Film and Television Technicians; the film company Pathé; and the crew of Polanski’s latest film, Ghost.
Additionally, actors Louis Garrel, Isabelle Adjani, Elsa Zylberstein, and Isabelle Huppert; filmmakers Danièle Thompson, Steven Soderbergh, Neil Jordan, Sam Mendes, Taylor Hackford, and Mike Nichols; formerly persecuted writer Salman Rushdie; author Milan Kundera; and stylist Diane von Furstenberg have signed another "Free Polanski” petition organized by writer-philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy.
And finally, Wenders, Tavernier, Volker Schloendorff, Victoria Abril, Peter Suschitzky, and Jean-Claude Carrière signed the following:
“As members of the European Film Academy and the European film community we protest at the arbitrary treatment of one of the world’s most outstanding film directors. We declare our deep respect for our colleague and friend Roman Polanski and we demand his immediate release.”
Polanski’s attorneys have vowed to fight his extradition to the United States, where he’s wanted on a charge of statutory rape.
Below is the petition. A full list of signatories, as published on the SACD website, can be found on the next page.
Petition for Roman Polanski
We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanski’s arrest by the Swiss police on September 26th, upon arrival in Zurich (Switzerland) while on his way to a film festival where he was due to receive an award for his career in filmmaking.
His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals.
Filmmakers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision. It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by the police to apprehend him.
By their extraterritorial nature, film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this.
The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no-one [sic] can know the effects.
Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown [sic] and international artist now facing extradition. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom.
Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians everyone involved in international filmmaking want him to know that he has their support and friendship.
On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries.
If only in the name of this friendship between our two countries, we demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski.
39 comments
It is amazing to me how these same people are the ones that said Elia Kazan should never be forgiven. What htpoctrites
its completly ridiculous that anyone thinks that polanski should go free. this was both rape in the “she was underage” sense and rape in the “she told him no” sense. thank god that at least switzerland had the balls and moral fortitude to arrest the bastard, because apparently in france being a famous director means you can do any fucking thing you want. i hope he rots in prison for was he did.
Please free a man who dosen’t deserve this treatment and the judge in the case was only in it for himself because of the famous celebity that Roman Polanski is. Roman wasn’t any threat he is harmless and the judge played with that fact. Roman would of stayed for court proceedings if only the judge stayed with his word he would never had fled.Roman has close ties with America because of Sharon and his unborn son Paul which was taken away from him when Manson came knocking. free Roman from this injustice and let the charges dropped by the prosecuters and let him get on with his life and with his family. Roman hasn’t been to Sharon Tates grave in 31yrs and he should be able to go there and let him remember the good times he had in America. I have a 14 yr old daughter and there is no way i would ever let her be photographed by a man 30 plus yrs and be left alone, the mother of Samantha should answer those questions why did she or was just publicity she wanted for herself and her daughter shame on her. LEAVE ROMAN POLANSKI ALONE.
The money-minded Swiss are just eager to please the Americans because of the secrecy of bank accounts situation and probably hope to get some reprieve from this arrest. Shame on them!
Will locking Roman Polanski up redress any wrong that he committed? Samantha Geimer clearly does not feel it will. Its time to respect Samantha and stop this judicial media circus.
Will it protect the world from a prowling monster, well I don’t see hundreds of other accusations against Polanski. Perhaps many people realise and regret wrong actions and do not repeat them?
May all the people who signed the petition have a 13 year old daughter be “taken” by a 40 year old man. Then we’ll see who signs what.
Trev on October 6th said ‘well I don’t see hundreds of other accusations against Polanski’
It only takes one. I doubt that if these people were raped and sodomized that they would be trying to redifine rape. He deserves worse than prison-the man should have been castrated all those 30 years ago.
And not everyone goes to the police about it. whos to say he hasn’t done it since? With the drugs, it was obviously pre-meditated.
I know I wouldn’t let him anywhere near my family, for sure. He has made his bed, he should be made to lie in it.
To Trev
After Roman rape raped his 13 year old victim, he sent his cronies and sycophants to her school where they released the pictures he took of her with the words LOLITA and TEASE written on them. She was in 7th grade. She was humiliated and basically “raped” again. He attacked her Mom as well in the media. Why is it her Mom’s fault that he raped a 13 year old girl after drugging her? He said in an interview filmed in 1978 of the victim that “She wanted it” basically calling her a slut. Roman used these classic rape defense tactics to send her a message and smear her character. Again, she was 13 and in 7th grade. How can you be ok with him releasing pictures of her to her schoolmates with words like Lolita on them? This is the reason why she is “media shy” and wants to walk away from this, because she is scarred and afraid he and his freinds will do it again.
Will locking Roman Polanski up redress any wrong that he committed? Samantha Geimer clearly does not feel it will.
Will it protect the world from a prowling monster, well I don’t see hundreds of other accusations against Polanski. Perhaps many people realise and regret wrong actions and do not repeat them?
If justice is to be of any value it needs to show itself fair and further that it can exercise compassion and understanding. Simply locking people away is not a solution to the worlds problems! Lets hope this event leads a few more people really examining their consciences about what they would expect of justice for them.
I for one think its time to respect Samantha and stop this judicial media circus.
To – LET HIM GO! on October 4th, 2009, The irl was 13. She said “No” repeatedly. Please check the Grand Jury transcripts. Polanski, agreed with her testamony that she said “no” and asked to be taken home repeatedly. No does not me yes. Experienced does not mean slut who wants it.
Those people who signed the petition aren’t defending rape. They’re against the arbitrary arrest of a film director on his way to a film festival. Something that could set a dangerous precedent. And that is true.
China could have a filmmaker going to the Cannes Film Festival arrested, for instance (if their countries have some sort of treaty). That’s scary. That’s what the petition is about. It’s not because Polanski is a film director and for that reason can get away with rape or murder for that reason. He’d been spending time in Switzerland for quite some time. He has a house there. If he’s so dangerous, why wasn’t he arrested before? The International warrant has been out for several years. Oh, please.
What’s more, Polanski never admittted to raping anyone. That’s the girl’s story. He ONLY admitted to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. That’s it. Even people who say they have read the testimonies and the plea agreement keep repeting that lie.
Maybe they are lying too and haven’t read anything or the have read it but have been so blinded by the misinformation about the Polanski case that they keep repeating the garbage they’ve learned.
She accused him. He denied it. Anjelica Huston was in the house too. People seem to forget that. Did she hear anyone screaming?
I don’t agree with those who blame the girl (“she was asking for it”) or with those who are now demonizing the woman because she defends Polanski and says he has paid his dues and done his time. But I also don’t agree with those who state as fact that Polanski is a predator and dangerous to society.
Had he molested or raped anyone else, it would have been a big scandal. It’s not like Polanski is some kind of unknown quantity.
He’s been married to actress Emmanuelle Seigner for more than two decades, and they have two kids. Are those people implying that SHE is a child molester as well? That all of the couple’s friends are child molesters who let their children hang out at Polanski’s house so they can be raped? That is INSANE.
Even Luc Besson who didn’t sign the petition, says that he likes POlanski and that his daughters are best of friends. Besson lets his daughter hang out with the daughter of a rapist and he’s not afraid of it??? C’mon!!!
Polanski needs to face justice, I agree, so the case can be finally closed. But justice is something he’ll NOT find if he’s ever returned to the US.
It actually turns my stomach to read some of the comments here, particularly “Let Him Go!”‘s comments on Oct 4th. This individual seems to believe that unless you are a virgin you can’t be raped! Phrases like “she was only 13 but WELL EXPERIENCED in sex and pleasure” are absolutely shocking to read in 2009.
I can only assume that this individual has not read the facts of the case, because otherwise s/he could not possibly think that “there was every indication [the victim]participated willingly and wanted this” when in fact the victim clearly said “no” and asked to be taken home several times. And that’s not even taking into account the fact that she was 13!
It’s a disgusting comment, and it is also disgusting to me that so many actors and directors are going out of their way to sign a petition defending Polanski. He raped a child, and guess what? Karma’s a bitch.
That’s a disturbing comment. When you’re 13, you deserve some responsibility from adults.
HE could’ve known better. When you’re 13, you don’t always know, you can’t always make proper assumptions. Having had sex doesn’t change that and it certaintly doesn’t make you free-bait for every guy who wants a go.
It’s bizarre how you make this a situation where ‘she-could’ve known’ and ‘he was just dragged into this’. HE WAS OVER 40 YEARS OLD. He knew what he did, he knew it was lawfully wrong. He should’ve prevented it from happening, but in stead he sought it out.
Maybe she was star-struck. – He knew. He knew his power, he knew she wouldn’t be able to defend herself. Don’t cry out for his innocence. He was there. He chose this.
Maybe mother and daughter didn’t think the director would not endorse criminal behavior/sex with a minor. Weird assumption in your world, maybe, but then you probably don’t have to worry about RAPE.
The girl was no virgin and no angel. She already had intercourse at least 2 times she admitted to and she never testified about any pain from him taking her anally. She took qualudes before. She was only 13 but WELL EXPERIENCED in sex and pleasure. Every indication she participated willingly and wanted this.
Her mother knew she was going to be photographed by a famous director and she let her go. The mother MUST have known it would at least lead to a blowjob and possibly him having intercourse with her daughter and SHE STILL LET IT HAPPEN. Where is the parents responsibility?
The girl probably was star struck by the famous director. She didn’t resist. That’s show business folks.
If the so-called VICTIM has PUBLICLY DECLARED she doesn’t want him to be punished then why is the USA trying to get its pound of flesh? Who was wronged? This is so-called JUSTICE GONE BESERK.
FREE ROMAN POLANISKI NOW!!!
First quote comes from this article:
thefirstpost.co.uk/54160,news,luc-besson-joins-backlash-against-release-roman-polanski-campaign
Lot of french names on the list but the support is definitely not unanimous – probably not even a majority.
“Popular support in France for Polanski, who has lived in Paris as a fugitive ever since the episode, has quickly waned – if it was ever there at all. More than 70 per cent of the 30,000 participants in an online poll by Le Figaro believed that Polanski should be extradited to face justice.”
theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26145091-12377,00.html
“US directors Woody Allen, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese have signed a petition protesting Polanski’s arrest but another prominent film-maker, Luc Besson, refused to line up behind Hollywood’s show of support.
“I have a lot of affection for him, he is a man that I like very much … but nobody should be above the law,” Besson told RTL radio.
“I don’t know the details of this case, but I think that when you don’t show up for trial, you are taking a risk, ” he added.
Asked about the film world’s solidarity with Polanski, Besson said “everyone can do as they please … But I know that I have a 13-year-old daughter and if she were raped, I don’t think that I would agree.””
The woman that was once the 13 year old girl, for $500K, is asking that the case be dismissed. Note that she is not hiding from the “annoying” media “intruding” into her life. She’s even packaged herself for media consumption. Look at her glam shot on MSN.
For $1 million she’d probably describe it as a growing or learning experience. For $5 million, she probably offer it to the public as a wonderful experience that can actualize one’s potential.
After all, she’s now about the same age R. Polanski was when he drugged and sodomized her.
Woody Allen, the man that married his Vietnamese daughter, 40 years his junior, is of course on Roman Polanski’s side.
The U.S. is prosecuting the rape of the then 13 year old. The one that was drugged and then raped while she begged Roman Polanski to stop. Not the creature that the girl became, inevitably in my opinion, because of the uninterrupted pressure on her from left wing social engineers.
As to those that curiously ask “Why now?”, I don’t care why he’s been arrested when he has. No statute of limitations applies: it would be anathema to the statute if the statute ran after Polanski fled. His passport should have been confiscated, preventing him from fleeing in the first place.
And, in my opinion, justice would be a “dish” better served cold than not served. Let Polanski, expecting to be tasting fine wine in his golden years with the likes of Woody Allen, French film critics, and Whoopi Goldberg, instead taste the floor inside a prison cell and the salt of someone else’s tears: his own.
What difference does it make that Polanski has had tragedy with his parents and wife? Everybody would cry and miss the ones that they love. It isn’t an unusual thing to love your family. Look at what Polanski did to someone outside his family the same way the Mansons treated outsiders to their “family” and the same way Nazis treated those outside their “family,” Aryans.
If he was not a movie celebrity, and an ordinary person committed this crime, first, all those pitioned for his release find him accountable, second, it wouldn’t take more than thirty years for the criminal to be extradited. His celebrity status and past family tragedy doesn’t give him a license to get away with a crime he committed.
I believe if the past is the past, then is’s all relevant. Yes,the man was in a concentration camp, yes, his wife was murdered, and yes, he raped a thirteen year old girl. Susan Atkins was convicted and imprisoned for murdering Sharon Tate. Nazi soldiers and SS police are still being discovered, arrested, tried, and imprisoned for the crimes they committed more than sixty years ago. Roman Polanski deserves to go jail.
There are doctors and lawyers from America going to vietnam,the philippines and other countries rapeing young kids so why are you people worrying about Roman polanski? If your skin is the right color,or you have money in this country you do not go to jail.So stop your barking about polanski.That girl mother should go to jail for being so money hungry.
The simple lie in the petitions, replacing “convicted” with “charged” gives this rapist’s supporters away.
Leave Roman Polanski alone. A man of genius and a survivor of many a tragedy. He deserves peace. We don’t want to hear about any old rehashed story from the past. The money-minded Swiss are just eager to please the Americans because of the secrecy of bank accounts situation and probably hope to get some reprieve from this arrest. Shame on them!
Those who sign this petition claim that they stand for the sanctity of artistic freedom and the right of artists to celebrate their work without the intrusion of government – But let there be no mistake that this is not a matter of censorship – Mr. Polanski can receive his award in absentia. This petition is the most disgusting display of artistic arrogance that I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Polanski raped a 13 year old child, then compounded his crime by refusing to accept the consequences of his heinous acts because they were, in fact, consequences. Everyone who has signed this petition has shown the world why the cinema has become the cess-pit of violence and filth that is the case today – the film-makers generate violence and filth – they celebrate it – and they decry those who oppose it.
Words cannot express the disgust which you have ignited in the hearts of film-lovers everywhere, mine in particular, and I only hope that somebody in the world of cinema will stand up and say that a man who rapes children must pay the consequence as must any other such criminal, artistic capabilities aside.
THIS MAN COMMITTED A CRIME AND RAN AWAY FROM JUSTICE HE DESERVED WHAT HE GOT THIS PETITION IS REALLY DISGUSTING IF THIS WAS A NORMAL PERSON THEY WOULD BE SCREAMING TO HAVE HIM CASTRATED BUT ONE OF THEIR OWN BOOHOO HE DESERVES JAIL A 13 YEAR
OLD GIRL HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS WRONG THATS WHY HE RAN
OMG!!!OMG!!! Are these people serious with signing this petition??? I am really good at my job so is it ok for me to commit a crime? Are there two sets or rules? One for the rest of us and one for “Hollywood”? Even though he will never see this or even care, if he did see it, I will never go see another Martin Scorcese film. Would Martin be signing this petition if it was his daughter, granddaughter or himself that had gotten raped? Yes, raped!!! There is no consentual sex at 13.
I am appalled that so many people are supporting a grown man who drugged and raped a teenager. there is no moral or legal ambiguity here. nothing that happened in polanski’s life justifies his actions. he can spend time in jail (as he should have done 30 years ago) to atone for the egregious crime he committed against society. i only wish the criminal justice system would be this strident with other rape cases.
Polanski’s actions were despicable and indefensible. This was a case not just of statutory rape, but of flat-out forcible rape. He drugged a 13 year old child and then forced himself on her vaginally, orally and anally all the while ignoring her protests and pleas for him to stop what he was doing to her and allow her to go home. He is a rapist, a pedophile and a misogynist. The fact that he makes good movies is irelevant. He should be brought back to the United States to finally face the consequences of his actions.
The facts accoriding to Grand Jury testamony.
Polanski knew the girl was 13.
Polanski gave the girl drugs and alcohol.
Polanski put his penis in her vagina and anus.
Polanski climaxed in her anus
The 13 year old said “no” several times. She asked repeatedly to be driven home.
Polanski agreed that these were the basic facts of the case when he plea bargined. His plea bargin was done by 1970’s standards on rape – “she asked for it”! defense. He was evaulated in Chino prision for 43 days by two star struck pyscologists. They recommended to the DA that he only do time served – 43 days. The DA’s recommendation apparently was not going to be endorsed by the Judge (which seems reasonable to me based on the testamony). The Judge sentences, not the DA or psycologists by the way.
He fled while on bail.
He is an admitted child rapist – only those with very sick mentally or immoral personal standards would defend him.
I am sad that there is no focus on the truth. Roman Polanski admitted to having drugged and had sex with with this 13 year old. Not only did he admit to this but was willing to be punished for it. Only when he feared that he would be spending time in jail, did he RUN to a country that he felt not extradite him. By supporting him, we are saying that what he did was okay and that as an adult, he had no moral responsibility to do the right thing. Is this what you would want to teach your children that it is okay to do wrong but as long as you can get away with it, you are not responsible to society for your actions?
A 13 year old is (in our country) cannot consent to having sex or drug use, which is illegal within itself. How many other 13 year olds have we not heard about over the past 30 years that Mr. Polanksi has done this to around the world? Would it be different if Mr. Polanski was not a director? What if he was the president of your country or a police chief? Would he not be held to the same laws for all?
Mr. Polanski is a criminal. Period. He did a crime and needs to “man up” to his crime. Maybe when he gets out of jail, he can direct a movie about it.
Uhh, Matthew, if you’re not going to do some research before posting, do us all a favor and just don’t post. The proof you’re seeking is Polan-skeevy’s admitting to the crime of having anal sex with a 13 year old CHILD. It’s not a grey area. And when you hold your baby daughter for the first time and see the miracle of it, you’ll understand. 43 year old MEN don’t drug children and have anal sex with them and call and call it a day.
FREE POLANSKI FREE POLANSKI
How many of you parents would leave your 13 year old alone for hours with a man alone to take nude pictures. Alone in a large mansion! Polanski should be punished and so should be the girls parents to allow such a thing to happen. They should be prosecuted for child neglect and abuse.
Would you leave your child in a lions den? This would never happen if girls parents were there to watch over her while she was being photoghraphed NUDE!
It is pathetic that none of you or the news media mentions this extreme case of child abuse by her parents.
I am now going to boycott all of those that signed as will my family. Polanski should die in jail!
He PLED GUILTY and then ran like a coward. He just needs to come back and serve his time like anyone else would. He admitted guilt. He admitted to plying the girl with champagne, giving her quaaludes, and then, even over her protests, raped her anally, vaginally, and orally. There is no defense for that. It’s immoral, and in America, completely illegal. He needs to come back and be sentenced for the crime he admitted to committing. He’s just showing his cowardice to the public and lowering our respect level for anything he may have ever done that would be considered positive.
I’m glad someone was brave enough to say “no” to American fundamentalism. And I’m especially proud for the Americans who signed the petition. I can imagine that it was a hard decision to make on their part as it puts them in danger of becoming subjects of oppression in their own country.
I hope Mr. Polanski will be free as soon as possible.
Matthew, perhaps it’s you who should become acquainted with the facts of this case. It’s not that people consider him guilty as charged as you say, it’s that people consider him guilty as charged, convicted, and most importantly, as he pled.
Regarding evidence, according to various court papers (that you can find at thesmokinggun.com), ‘the girl’s panties were chemically analyzed and were positive for acid phosphatase and as criminalist subsequently testified, “test strongly indicates semen.”‘ Police were notified almost immediately after the incident occurred and she hadn’t had sex in the two weeks leading up to this. Please remember this was before the days of CSI style technology. She described the drug she was given and apparently when arrested, Polanski tried to dispose of the very drug at the dosage that the girl had described.
Though only Polanski and the victim were in the room, there were several witnesses placing them in the room alone (including celebrity friends of Polanski, if that makes them any more credible to you). He had also just gotten done taking topless pictures of the 13 year old girl.
The most important thing to keep in mind here is that Polanski admitted to it. He admitted to having sex with the 13 year old girl. He also admitted that he knew her age. As a result of his plea bargain, which he was offered to avoid traumatizing the girl any more, we will never know what further evidence may have come out at trial. Roman Polanski chose to plead guilty.
Had there not been a plea bargain, Polanski was going to be tried for a host of offenses relating to the girl’s testimony that he drugged her and then raped her orally, vaginally, and anally.
Finally, I’m awestruck that someone would suggest that a 40 something man having sex with a 13 year old is in some way in a gray area of morality. I’m at a total loss for words. And to use it ostensibly in an argument to advocate for Polanski? Do you think you’re going to win people over by arguing what he admitted to is only in morally gray area?
The most important thing to understand is that in the United States it’s definitely illegal and would result in jail time. The additional things he was charged with are VERY VERY illegal in the states (regardless of whatever NAMBLA code of ethics based set of beliefs you seem to be promoting).
Was there any proof that the teen’s story was true? I know that a lot of people out there see Polanski as guilty as charged, especially those who know nothing about the case. But does anyone actually know what happened at Jack Nicholson’s home?
You may find it immoral and/or criminal if someone has sex with a minor (18 in California, 20 in Tunisia, 18 AND married in Afganistan, 16 in the Netherlands, the UK, and numerous other countries, 15 in France, Sweden and Slovenia, 14 in Brazil, 13 in Argentina and Spain, must be married no matter your age in Saudi Arabia and Oman, etc.)
But having sex with a minor (whatever the age of the “minor” , depending on the country) is not the same thing as actual rape. And it’s funny to see how the definition of what’s a “child” changes from country to country.
Polanski was charged and is being hounded for having had illegal sex with what’s defined as a minoor in California. That’s it. The rest is the girl’s story, unless there’s some kind of medical report, and possibly there is, I don’t know, proving that she was really raped and drugged and all that and that Polanski was the one who did it.
If there isn’t, then those out for Polanski’s blood should first become acquainted with his case BEFORE making up their minds. Learn about the facts. THEN make up your minds.
This is a petition for treating celebrities differently than other people.
I’m disgusted to see some of my favorite film makers amongst those who believe that this man should be somehow not held accountable for drugging and raping a girl he knew full well was 13 years old.
“Just leave Mr polanski alone.”
Pretty sure that if he hadn’t raped a child, they would.
Dejen a Mr Polanski tranquilo de una vez. Just leave Mr polanski alone.