Roman Polanski's Arrest Could Lead to His Freedom

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Sep 27th 2009 10:09AM

Police in Switzerland took Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski into custody on statutory rape charges that the director has been avoiding for more than thirty years. Polanski, now 76, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old in 1977 in the United States, but fled the country before he could be sentenced and a warrant for his arrest was issued in 1978. He had been living in France ever since. However, one defense attorney believes the director's freedom is imminent.

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Celebrity Troublemakers

Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland on a 30+ year-old arrest warrant for statutory rape.

Getty Images

Celebrity Troublemakers

Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland on a 30+ year-old arrest warrant for statutory rape.

Getty Images

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"There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming," ministry spokesman Guido Balmer told The Associated Press. "That's why he was taken into custody."

Balmer said the U.S. would now have to make a formal extradition request.

Polanski was scheduled to receive an honorary award at the festival when he was apprehended Saturday at the airport, the Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement. It said U.S. authorities have sought the arrest of the 76-year-old director around the world since 2005.

Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with the underage girl. The director of such classic films as "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby" has asked a U.S. appeals court in California to overturn a judges' refusal to throw out his case. He claims misconduct by the now-deceased judge who had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it.

The Swiss statement said Polanski was in "provisional detention for extradition," but added he would not be transferred to U.S. authorities until all proceedings are completed. Polanski can contest his detention and any extradition decision in the Swiss courts, it said.

Polanski has lived for the past three decades in France, where his career has continued to flourish, and he received a directing Oscar in absentia for the 2002 movie "The Pianist."

Polanski has not been extradited from France because his crime reportedly was not covered under treaties between the United States and France.

He has avoided traveling to countries likely to extradite him. For instance, he testified by video link from Paris in a 2005 libel trial in London against Vanity Fair magazine because he did not want to enter Britain for fear of being arrested.

In Paris, Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said he was "dumbfounded" by Polanski's arrest, adding that he "strongly regrets that a new ordeal is being inflicted on someone who has already experienced so many of them."

Those comments referred to the fact that Polanski, a native of France who was taken to Poland by his parents, escaped Krakow's Jewish ghetto as a child and lived off the charity of strangers. His mother died at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp.

Mitterrand's ministry said Sunday that he was in contact with French President Nicolas Sarkozy "who is following the case with great attention and shares the minister's hope that the situation can be quickly resolved."

Polanski worked his way into filmmaking in Poland, gaining an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film in 1964 for his "Knife in the Water." Offered entry to Hollywood, he directed the classic "Rosemary's Baby" in 1968.

But his life was shattered again in 1969 when his wife, actress Sharon Tate, and four other people were gruesomely murdered by followers of Charles Manson. She was eight months pregnant.

He went on to make another American classic, "Chinatown," released in 1974.

Classic Polanski Film Moments

'Chinatown'

'Rosemary's Baby'

In 1977, he was accused of raping the teenager while photographing her during a modeling session. The girl said Polanski plied her with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill at Jack Nicholson's house while the actor was away. She said that, despite her protests, he performed oral sex, intercourse and sodomy on her.

Polanski was allowed to plead guilty to one of six charges, unlawful sexual intercourse, and was sent to prison for 42 days of evaluation.

Lawyers agreed that would be his full sentence, but the judge tried to renege on the plea bargain. Aware the judge would sentence him to more prison time and require his voluntary deportation, Polanski fled to France.

The victim, Samantha Geimer, who long ago identified herself publicly, has joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal, saying she wants the case to be over. She sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Zurich Film Festival organizers said Polanski's detention had caused "shock and dismay," but said they would go ahead with Sunday's planned retrospective of the director's work.

The Swiss Directors Association sharply criticized authorities for what it deemed "not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal."

Meanwhile, the AP reports that his arrest could lead to his freedom.

"I think he will finally get his day in court and there's a good chance his case will be dismissed or the sentence will be commuted to time served," criminal defense attorney Steve Cron said.

"The good news for him is he's been living under a cloud all these years wondering who would swoop in and arrest him. Now he can get this thing finally worked out," Cron added.

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Celebrity Mug Shots

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Tags: roman polanski, RomanPolanski

Comments

(302)

Sunday 27 September

By Kelly

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

There is a statute of limitation on rape charges, but he was already convicted, and there is no time limit on the punishment phase.

He served 42 days, which the prosecutor had agreed to be the sentence in a plea bargain agreement. The judge was about to override the plea agreement and give him to a longer sentence. That's when he left the country.

It seems like a waste of resources to bring him back for re-sentencing, where he will probably just get a slap on the wrist and a few days in jail, especially if the victim is not insisting he be incarcerated.

By Uncapie

Vote down Vote up Report this

Surprised, and Robert Blake is black?

By Sam Rackham

When Polanski's pregnant wife (Sharon Tate) was brutally murdered liberals told us we should pity the cold blooded murderess (Susan Atkins) because she came from a disfunctional family and had an unhappy childhood. Polanski had an illegal fling with teenage girl a few yaers later. I'm not condoning that but how about some liberal sympathy for a man who had to deal with the trauma of having his pregnant wife fatally butchered?

By Amy

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Sympathy for a man whose pregnant wife was brutally murdered should extend to moral support, flowers or a card...not overlooking rape. If his wife had lived and given birth to a daughter, would he be looking the other way if it happened to HER? I highly doubt it. The loss of a wife and child should not make it okay to to commit heinous acts against someone else's child.

He plead guilty to rape, and didn't like where the outcome was likely to take him when the judge was reconsidering his punishment. Fleeing, instead of demanding an investigation into the judge's so-called misconduct doesn't make him look look like a victim himself, it looks like someone who is not willing to truly pay for his crimes.

By Addison

SURPRISED Please spare us your racial bigotry. I read about 12 comments before yours and every damn one was a more or less hang the SOB.. are you so biased you can't even comprehend what you read..or just plain stupid?

By Mickey

I am not a lawyer, but I would think that the statue of limitations would not apply because he was already convicted, but took off before sentencing.

By Ivana

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

If the young girl forgave him and wants this to be ended, that's all that matters. Enough.

Tuesday 29 September

By marg

I have seen no published reports, or interviews in which the victims stated that she 'forgave' him.
It does seem clear she wants to forget. But he should be brought to task for escaping to avoid sentencing. Someone not famous, with no powerful friends, and without deep pockets would have been extradited YEARS ago imo and brought back to face justice. It's disgusting what he did-the tragedies of his life dees not excuse the fact that he is a child rapist. He's had 'affairs' also with under-age girls such as the model/actress Natassia Kinski. She was just in her mid-teens. The man is a pig, talented, but a pig nevertheless and I don't care if he is an old man now. He's a disgusting dirty old man.

By tom

He should have been arrested along time ago and charged with fleeing or escape if it was me or anyone else and didn't have money they would have ran us down .whats so special about him.he hasn't made anything i like and he stayed away from here and lived in France because he is a child molester period.... lock him up

By Lindalsouth

I regardto you who think this is in the past or move on to real crimes as you stated Dani.Just for your information that is a real crime.What if that girl was your sister or daughter how would you feel.And how do you know the girl has moved on or did not have some sort of personal scaring from the situation.And what about the one big thing that it was just plane and simply wrong.Maybe if people would start to give a dam about things that are wrong this world we live in just might start to be a little better to live in.Why should he be aloud to get away with what he did back then.He still needs to be punished.He has been sitting pretty over in france having a good life for all these years just because he took off.Do you really think that is fair.And like I said how did the girl fair from what happened to her and did he force her,was she tromitzed from it.Think about it you just pissed me off with a comment like that.just role over and let it go don't punnish ant body for what they do that is wrong.

By Duane

There is no statuate of limitations for perversion and if a criminal flees he should be hunted to the ends of the earth. He knew he was a criminal, thats why he was in hiding. Bring him back and let him rot in jail for the rest of his days.

By wendy

It doesn't matter how long it took, the fact is, he is now going to pay for raping a child. What is wrong with people? Actors should not have worked with him and he should have not been allowed to make any movies or find any work! How many other innocent victims and children did he force his ugly ass on?! Rape is a crime. He is an animal.
Do I feel bad for the child he once was...yes. It was a crime against humanity when his mother died in a nazi camp. But, it doesn't give him the right to become an animal himself!
He needs to go to jail. I hope the inmates he shares a cell with find out why he is there. Even the worst of the worst don't like pedophiles and rapists of children!

By Dave

Give it a rest, for God's sake. The warrant is
over 30 years old, and the statuite of limitations
has long-since expired. Who is the sadistic
publicity-grabbing moron who has pushed this for
so long? The "victim" was paid off in a civil action and wants it dropped, also, so what's the
real story?

Monday 28 September

By NicoleinFL

If YOUR daughter was the victim, you would be singing a different tune Dave!

By Denise

What's the real story?? Umm, that would be the law Dave..kind of an important thing. Regardless of what the victim (why did u put this word in quotes?) took as far as a settlement, a heinous crime was still committed. RP has lived freely for 30+ years b/c he has the resources, not b/c he was in the right for fleeing. If you want to know the real story, try looking up "justice".

Not only that, but the girl consented AND her mother brought her there knowing full well what was going to happen. However, I have no doubt Polanski is extremely perverted.

The real tragedy here is how apparent it is that the school systems have failed miserably in teaching English, spelling and grammar across America. Especially in this day and age when "spell check" is available at the click of a button.

But you go, Vigilantes. Whatever floats your boat.

Thumbs down to France for aiding this pedophile! I wonder how many French girls he has molested. Another thumbs down to the minority of posters that think we should "let this go". What the hell is wrong with you people? This man is a child rapist. He BELONGS in jail. The victims preferences are irrelevant. She got her money and went on with her life. I am sure others haven't been as lucky.

By WENDY

Rape is not an illegal fling! He held this young child down after he drugged her and through her screams and cries, he forcibly stuck his penis into her and took her innocence. She was screaming in pain and horror. He also did oral sex to her. He is an animal. He is a pedophile and a rapist!
He should have been turned over to parents of these victims! Then there would have been justice!

By void999

the real criminals are the french for letting this dirtbag hide for 30 years.

roman polanski no matter how old needs to be held accountable... black and white...no grey

By rick

He RAPED a 13 year old girl. That makes him no different or better than the Nazis he throws in our faces as a means to say he has suffered enough. May he rot in prison!!!

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