While Roman Polanski was arrested over the weekend for a statutory rape he committed more than thirty years ago, he has had one very unlikely person defending him in recent years -- his victim.
Samantha Geimer, who was 13 years old when Polanski raped her at Jack Nicholson's house in 1977, recently filed a formal request asking Los Angeles prosecutors to drop charges against Polanski. In January, at the time the request was filed, Geimer, now 45, said: "I have survived, indeed prevailed, against whatever harm Mr. Polanski may have caused me as a child. I got over it a long time ago," according to the NY Daily News.
Geimer publicly forgave Polanski in 1997. She was hoping if the case and incident was put to rest, the details of it that continually ran with each Polanski headline would cease.
"True as they may be, the continued publication of those details causes harm to me, my beloved husband, my three children and my mother," Geimer said.
In 1977, Polanski lured the 13-year-old aspiring model Geimer into Nicholson's home for a photo shoot, where he gave her champagne and prescription drugs. Despite her requests to be taken home, Polanski then took nude photos of her in a hot tub and had sex with her. He later pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor.
"What happened that night, it's hard to believe, but it paled in comparison to what happened to me in the next year of my life," Geimer said recently.
She later told PEOPLE magazine in 1997 that Polanski "did something really gross to me, but it was the media that ruined my life."
Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland on a 30+ year-old arrest warrant for statutory rape.
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Randy and Evi Quaid are seen here in their mugshots obtained exclusively by TMZ following their arrest for sipping out on a whopping California hotel bill.
TMZ
Photographer Tyler Shields (top right) and 'Vampire Diaries' actresses Kayla Ewall (top left, Nina Dobreva (bottom left) and Krystal Vayda were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for flashing drivers during a photo shoot on a Georgia highway overpass.
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Alex Da Silva, a choreographer featured in 'So You Think You Can Dance,' was arrested April 4th. On August 18, he was arrested on a felony warrant charging him with sexually assaulting four of his dancing students.
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If someone attacks and rapes me I have the right to say yeah or neh. Not some damned States Atty who want to make a name for themselves. Like they really give a damned about you anyway.
The LAW already took care of this. He accepted a plea bargain and served the allotted time, then the corrupt judge wanted to tack on more time despite his original ruling. You can't have a justice system when judges or prosecutors or defense attorneys are allowed to change the rules at their own whim, like happened here. If the plea bargain wasn't acceptable, it shouldn't have been approved in the first place. It was and he served his time. Prosecuting him again would be double jeopardy and adding time to the original sentence would be very close that too. The fact that this is a decades old crime, the victim has pleaded that it be dropped, and the original judge who tried to renege on his own sentence is dead...who really wants this to proceed?
This is a waste of time, a waste of resources, and a waste of money to pursue. It's time to focus on the REAL criminals out there who are an actual danger to society. Not old men who did something stupid 30 plus years ago.
If we do not fully prosecute Polanski, then, most of these people living as "registered sex offenders" have to be "de-registered"!!! In some cases, even pardoned.
Actually you are wrong. Without her, they do not have a victim or a witness to the crime. Yes, they can file charges, but remember this was 30 years ago, so anything that happens will be based on the laws in 1977 - she can refuse to testify against him, in which case they will have no case. I keep seeing pedophilia comments - pedophiles were not always recognized, nor prosecutd 32 years ago!!
I agree she sued and was paid of, so she think that is the end of it. Maybe, for her it is but justice is not bind perhaps she has not given any thought to others that may have been affect. There is always the chance that a person that commits a crime will do so again. She should think of other not just her self, by looking at the big picture.
While I agree that the legal part is not up to her at this point, I understand how she was able to forgive. You forgive for yourself not for the other person. I think people are saying terrible things about this woman. She didn't do anything wrong. She was a child. I am happy for her. Happy she was able to prevail and move on from her pain.
He was convicted, he fled to Europe before doing the time. He has been a fugitive from justice for about 30 years now. There is no decision to be made about trying him, it's whether they bring him back to serve his time
she wants it dropped because she is tired of it being brought up every time he beats the system. it's not forgiveness... he broke her. he's eluded the police for over 3 decades, which then makes the news and embarrasses her... in essence he's been mentally torturing her for the past 30 years.
No you don't Rick. When a law is broken it's not the victims right to just let it slide. This prevents thugs from forcing victims from "forgiving" criminals or from allowing the very rich among us to rape and murder at will because they can afford to.
What is "the LAW" but the will of the people? The will of the majority of people in this case is that they do NOT spend millions of dollars on a show trial to persecute an old man for something that happened over 30 years ago - especially in light of the fact that (a) he has no intention of returning to the United States EVER again, and (b) that he has no other criminal history. Stop being a Nazi for one second and use your frigging brain for a change.
Polanski committed two crimes: (1) statutory rape, and (2) flight to avoid prosecution. Maybe the victim of the rape has forgiven him, but that's a whole lot different than a state forgiving him for skipping out of the country before he could be sentenced. If he isn't arrested by the USA, anyone who committed a crime a long time ago could claim that the lapse of time gives him/her immunity now. Talk to old Nazi's to find out how attractive that would be to them, and find out how the Poles and French feel about that as a general priciple.
This child molester has to serve the 50 years he got. Otherwise lets just rape everbody and forgive. She got paid and now ofcourse it's OK by her. They are still talking about the holocaust, this is the same degree of crime, raping, drugging and sodomizing children.
the thing is that his original trial tanked and there there were some pretty hefty malpractices, which I personally would have fled from too, if I had the resources he did. what happened was questionable, but c'mon, it's been fifty years and constantly dragging the 'victim' through the headlines is no way to handle it. her mother knew what was going on, she gave up the right to press charges, the victim has publically (for god's sake, publically in a rape case? just leave her alone) forgiven him; he broke the law years ago, but it's time to move on. ever heard of a statute of limitations?
Tommy are you serious? Polanski was like, 30 when this happened. It is DISGUTING. For you to imply that a 13 year old is NOT a child and her sex life has an impact on her warranting this is disgusting. I hope if you have daughters this never happens to them.
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While Roman Polanski was arrested over the weekend for a statutory rape he committed more than thirty years ago, he has had one very unlikely person defending him in recent years -- his victim.
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its not up to her, its up to this little idea called LAW
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If someone attacks and rapes me I have the right to say yeah or neh. Not some damned States Atty who want to make a name for themselves. Like they really give a damned about you anyway.
The LAW already took care of this. He accepted a plea bargain and served the allotted time, then the corrupt judge wanted to tack on more time despite his original ruling. You can't have a justice system when judges or prosecutors or defense attorneys are allowed to change the rules at their own whim, like happened here. If the plea bargain wasn't acceptable, it shouldn't have been approved in the first place. It was and he served his time. Prosecuting him again would be double jeopardy and adding time to the original sentence would be very close that too. The fact that this is a decades old crime, the victim has pleaded that it be dropped, and the original judge who tried to renege on his own sentence is dead...who really wants this to proceed?
This is a waste of time, a waste of resources, and a waste of money to pursue. It's time to focus on the REAL criminals out there who are an actual danger to society. Not old men who did something stupid 30 plus years ago.
If we do not fully prosecute Polanski, then, most of these people living as "registered sex offenders" have to be "de-registered"!!! In some cases, even pardoned.
Actually you are wrong. Without her, they do not have a victim or a witness to the crime. Yes, they can file charges, but remember this was 30 years ago, so anything that happens will be based on the laws in 1977 - she can refuse to testify against him, in which case they will have no case. I keep seeing pedophilia comments - pedophiles were not always recognized, nor prosecutd 32 years ago!!
I agree she sued and was paid of, so she think that is the end of it. Maybe, for her it is but justice is not bind perhaps she has not given any thought to others that may have been affect. There is always the chance that a person that commits a crime will do so again. She should think of other not just her self, by looking at the big picture.
While I agree that the legal part is not up to her at this point, I understand how she was able to forgive. You forgive for yourself not for the other person. I think people are saying terrible things about this woman. She didn't do anything wrong. She was a child. I am happy for her. Happy she was able to prevail and move on from her pain.
The crime happened, he was guilty, he fled. He should be punished for that, no matter what the victim thinks or has been paid to think now.
He was convicted, he fled to Europe before doing the time. He has been a fugitive from justice for about 30 years now. There is no decision to be made about trying him, it's whether they bring him back to serve his time
she wants it dropped because she is tired of it being brought up every time he beats the system. it's not forgiveness... he broke her. he's eluded the police for over 3 decades, which then makes the news and embarrasses her... in essence he's been mentally torturing her for the past 30 years.
No you don't Rick. When a law is broken it's not the victims right to just let it slide. This prevents thugs from forcing victims from "forgiving" criminals or from allowing the very rich among us to rape and murder at will because they can afford to.
L, great comment, we forget that we must use the statue of the time not the present law
What is "the LAW" but the will of the people? The will of the majority of people in this case is that they do NOT spend millions of dollars on a show trial to persecute an old man for something that happened over 30 years ago - especially in light of the fact that (a) he has no intention of returning to the United States EVER again, and (b) that he has no other criminal history. Stop being a Nazi for one second and use your frigging brain for a change.
KJ, otherwise known as "libslie" on AOL is a full fledged card-carrying, sheet-wearing, cross-burning, Hitler-loving Nazi. Burn in hell, douche bag.
Polanski committed two crimes: (1) statutory rape, and (2) flight to avoid prosecution. Maybe the victim of the rape has forgiven him, but that's a whole lot different than a state forgiving him for skipping out of the country before he could be sentenced. If he isn't arrested by the USA, anyone who committed a crime a long time ago could claim that the lapse of time gives him/her immunity now. Talk to old Nazi's to find out how attractive that would be to them, and find out how the Poles and French feel about that as a general priciple.
Reply
This child molester has to serve the 50 years he got. Otherwise lets just rape everbody and forgive. She got paid and now ofcourse it's OK by her. They are still talking about the holocaust, this is the same degree of crime, raping, drugging and sodomizing children.
Thank You.
the thing is that his original trial tanked and there there were some pretty hefty malpractices, which I personally would have fled from too, if I had the resources he did.
what happened was questionable, but c'mon, it's been fifty years and constantly dragging the 'victim' through the headlines is no way to handle it.
her mother knew what was going on, she gave up the right to press charges, the victim has publically (for god's sake, publically in a rape case? just leave her alone) forgiven him; he broke the law years ago, but it's time to move on.
ever heard of a statute of limitations?
Tommy are you serious? Polanski was like, 30 when this happened. It is DISGUTING. For you to imply that a 13 year old is NOT a child and her sex life has an impact on her warranting this is disgusting. I hope if you have daughters this never happens to them.
Polanski broke the law. Period.
So what if the mother knew Tommy. It wasn't her body, it wasn't her right to say who could touch or not. You @sshole.