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 whoops

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

It's been 30 years + since all that, and even the "victim" does not want to see this happen. Let it go, for chrissakes, and hunt some real criminals (a few politicians would be a good start)...

By daspikeguy

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

He messed with a kid. He deserves to be punished. what if it was you, or YOUR sister?

By Dani

I have to agree with you on this one. I mean, isn't there a statue of limitations on this charge? Seems to me that the ONLY crime without a statue of limitations is murder, even down and out RAPE has a statue. I think this is alot of crap. That's my personal opinion and we all have them. It's over, done with all have gone on with their lives even the 'victim' in this. Give it a rest and go pursue REAL crimes!

By Chris

The victim is willing to let it go because she got paid. If he wants this to be over he should agree to being brought back to the US and doing the 42 days plus time for fleeing justic. Then kick him out of the US as a registered sex offender. But just for good measure he should be room mates with "Bubba" who can plow his field for the full 42 days.

By Jamee

When a criminal act occurs it is considered a crime against the state this is why the state is responsible for proving the guilt of the offender. Just because he paid her off and she no longer want him in doesn't mean anything. To take that route would be wrong. If every criminal just paid off their victim would it be okay to let them go? No, 1: the criminal should pay for their crime and 2: Not every person has the means to pay off their victim so to let him go just because his paid off victim is ok with it is prejudicial and wrong

By Wendy

A "real" criminal? I can certainly tell you are not a victim of rape or the parent of one. The true crime here is not only what happened to the poor girl, but that Polanski got away with it for so long and is so revered by the Hollywood community. So sad, really makes a statement about people.

By bvintagepaper

This man drugged and raped a 13 year old CHILD! I'm sure she doesn't want to relive it again but this man has not paid for his discusting crime! It is very likely she was not his ONLY victim either, just the one who reported it! I found out an uncle of mine abused several girls in the family for years and was never reported to the police. If he was still alive I would push to have HIM arrested after all these years. I have a friend who suffers from mental illness because of what her uncle did to her. The victims never really forget. Kids aren't protected if the RAPISTS are never charged Whether it's been 30 years or not, he's STILL a pedophile! He'll never suffer the phyical or emotional turmoil he inflicted on a child. Maybe he can still suffer some "inconvenience" and at least go to jail awhile. Though 45 days was unbelievable. And for anyone to say that there are REAL CRIMES Worse than that is dispicable!

By Travis Cooper

A child rapist IS a real criminal. Why has this man been allowed to run free? Becasue he was rich and had influential friends to hide behind. You want to go after politicians? I agree. Let's start with the French politicians who have blocked his extradition for 30 years!

By Matt

There's no statute of limitations applicable here. And, for you nimrods who think there ought to be, why should there be? The reason for such a statute is the right of the accused to have the prosecution either sh!t or get off the pot. That question has been answered for Polansky some 30+ years ago. He's the one who prolonged it by avoiding prosecution, which, by the way, he still indeed so richly deserves, despite the lapse of time.

By Mike F

So you think RAPE is ok? You are a VERY SICK person. I hope it never happens to a relative of yours.

By Sioux

Since when do we let a phedophile go free. The US tracks them down until they die.
Roman Polinsky is a pedophile, no doubt.
And the truth be known, the girl he raped in '71 was probably only his first victim. How many others did he leave in his tracks?

By Julia

Let's see...the poor boy escapes Nazi Germany and barely lives off of the kindness of strangers' charity and tragically, his mother dies in Auschwitz. That is such a sad story and I truly feel for him. Many years later, as a 43 year old grown man, he drugs a 13 year old girl and has sex with her. Then, he's found guilty of statutory rape and rightly so. He flees, rather than take his just punishment.

That said, "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."

"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.""

Nevermind the ordeal suffered by the 13 year old girl and her family at the time.

Keep in mind that there are millions of prisoners who've had tragic histories and had they not done their time, they might've been able to wonderful things as Polanski did. Most criminals don't get that chance. Why should Polanski?

By Di

What do you consider a REAL criminal? It doesn't get much worse than a rape of a child. Shame on you!

By Beverly

YOU SHOULD MAKE FRIENDS WITH "DANI," WHO ALSO DOESN'T THINK THAT RAPE IS A "REAL" CRIME. YOU TWO HAVE THE SAME MINDSET. SHAME ON YOU, TOO. WHAT IF IT WAS A FEMALE RELATIVE OF YOURS WHO YOU LOVE?

By me

Instead of taking his slap on the wrist of 42 days, Polanski has wasted more than 40 years of time and resources of the American Justice system. He should not only serve his original time but also reimburse us for our expenses.

By Jim

What is missing from discussion is the fact that Polanski did not know he was messing with an underage girl. The girl pawned herself off as older. Playing Hollywood Mom, the girl's mother dropped her off at Jack Nicholson's house fully expecting what happened would happened. Polanski was the subject of a scam. Since when is falsely identifying one's self for the purpose of possible blackmail defensivable?

By Ish

There is no statute of limitations for the rape of a child or running from justice.

As a matter of fact, some states have life sentences for sex with a child under 14.

I doubt any of you dissenters would have a problem with this deviant being sentenced if it was your daughter or sister.

It's about time justice was served.

By Rob

I don't know who's worse the kid raper or the morons like Whoops and Dani who think it's ok to drug and rape children.

By B-dub

Yep, 30 yrs this guy has gotten away from serving his sentence and I don't believe that spending 30 yrs as a free man in France is anything close to a sentence. Extradite his ass back to the U.S. and let him be sentenced for his crime.

By ED

To Chris,
He did do the 42 days and the other stipulations under a plea bargin agreement that if he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse. Only afterwards did the crooked judge (which by the way was owned by under table payoffs from mafia figures) void the plea bargin agreement, but withheld the verdict of guilty. Roman Polaski did what was required of him under the initial plea bargin agreement and shouldn't have to go through anymore court/jail time.

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