For His Protection, Swiss Move Roman Polanski to Undisclosed Location

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Dec 3rd 2009 03:41PM

Authorities acted to protect Roman Polanski from public attention Thursday by moving him from a Zurich area jail to an undisclosed location before his transfer to house arrest in the Swiss Alps. Polanski was taken from the jail in Winterthur for "security reasons and personal protection," Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said.

Galli declined to say where the 76-year-old director was being held. But he told The Associated Press that Polanski was still expected to be taken to his chalet in the luxury resort of Gstaad on Friday afternoon.

"This doesn't change anything in principle," Galli said. "He will still be transferred tomorrow."

Polanski won't be allowed to leave his house while Switzerland decides whether to extradite him to the U.S. for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl. He will have to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

The director of such film classics as "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown" and "The Pianist" has been in Swiss custody since being arrested Sept. 26 on a U.S. warrant as he arrived in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award at a film festival. Authorities in Los Angeles want him returned to be sentenced after 31 years as a fugitive.

Polanski was initially accused of raping the girl after plying her with champagne and a Quaalude pill during a modeling shoot in 1977. He was indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molestation and sodomy, but he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

In exchange, the judge agreed to drop the remaining charges and sent him to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. The evaluator released Polanski after 42 days, but the judge said he was going to send him back to serve out the 90 days.

The filmmaker fled the U.S. on Feb. 1, 1978, the day he was to be formally sentenced. He has lived since then in France, which does not extradite its citizens.

Polanski claims that the U.S. judge and prosecutors acted improperly in his case. His attorneys will argue before a California appeals court in December that the charges should be dismissed.

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Tags: roman polanski, RomanPolanski

Comments

(15)

Thursday 03 December

By rampscallion

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POLANSKI IS A DIRTY PERVERT

By Bwpapoose43b

One word: RAPIST!

By jim

he didn't have sex with a 13 year old. he drugged and raped a 13 year old. he admitted it. then he found out what his punishment was to be and he fled to europe, where it is fashionable to protect 'artists' like him. i hope he gets extradited and has the same thing happen to him.

By mrgmorgan56

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The Swiss....They have two things that make them infamous, chocolate and cowardice.

By wil2660

He's a POS, that's about all there is to say about him.

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You're an idiot. You weren't there and therefore have no knowledge of what transpired. Once again, you're an efing idiot.

By g

Neither were you.

Friday 04 December

By Dwight

Difference being he pled guilty to lesser charges you putz. He then fled the country to avoid being sentenced for what he pled gulty to. None of us had to be there. He admitted what he did and needs to do his time. End of story.

And so are you...putz.

By Red

The rapist should have been back in the US by now and serving his time plus added time for running. He is a disgusting arse!

By Karen

Obviously, there is something very wrong with this scenario. We can't seem to get a 76 year old perv back to the states to serve out his sentence after he pled guilty? No wonder we can't "find" Osama Bin Laden!!! Obviously, we are not the "super power" country we are told we are. We are a joke to other countries. The good old USA, whippin' boy to the world!!

By Diana

This is one nasty man I wouldnt mind paying taxes to house and feed his sorry perverted ***. Hes a total coward every day he hides like a child. I hope he had his bot whipped in Swit, maybe thats why their having to move him,,, I HOPE.

By Mike

"For his protection?" Funny, I don't recall him having a problem in jail. This is just the first move in letting him slip away. Mark my words, this pervert is going to walk away from this without a scratch. I'm stunned that his "friends" don't have a problem with him raping and abusing a 13 year old girl. I just wonder how they would feel if the same had happened to their young daughters. What hypocrites. And regardless of what the woman now says, the law is the law, she had no say in his prosecution then and shouldn't have any say in it now.

By rondonit

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Should have done the time back then. America is no longer tolerant of adults sexually assaulting those that aren't (those incapable of granting legal consent). I hope the new Judge sentences with a modern mindset, liking little girls isn't illegal, licking them is (photographing them can be).

One Day in Jail for each day he was late for "Failure to Appear" and jumping bail would be sufficient before adding time for the Rape.

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