ZURICH – Director Roman Polanski was arrested by Swiss police as he flew in for the Zurich Film Festival and faces possible extradition to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl, authorities said Sunday.
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.
“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.”
Polanski, the director of such classic films as “Chinatown,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” fled the U.S. in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with the underage girl.
Polanski 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.
His 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. Polanski’s French lawyer, Georges Kiejman, told France-Inter radio that it was “too early to know” if Polanski would be extradited.
“The proceedings must take their course,” he said Sunday. “For now we are trying to have the arrest warrant lifted in Zurich.”
sargasso said,
“Odd, Polanski is indicted for a crime committed in the USA which is perfectly legal in France”
Ah, No. It is definetly NOT LEGAL in France to give alcohol and drugs to a 13 year old before raping her. It is not even legal to have any kind of sex with a 13 year old in France. The age of consent in France is 15.
anyone that has their pregnant wife hacked up by Charles Manson deserves a little wiggle room. That and being one of the worlds greatest directors having voluntary sex with a hollywood star wanta be with her mother waiting in the car to take her home doesn’t really rise to an outrage==except about the mother.
Yes Polanski had a tough life before this whole thing happened. He was also a refuge from Nazi Germany and had at least one parent killed in a concentration camp.
That being said, by all accounts this was NOT consensual. This was rape. The victim claims she said no repeatedly and was drugged and drunk at the time.
This is simply ridiculous and appalling. The girl at the time was described by Angelica Huston who was living in the house with Jack Nicholson at the time, as a girl who could appear to be as old as 25. I have seen this myself – some of these alleged rape “victims” are only victims once they’ve gotten caught, pregnant, or figure out they can get money from the sorry horny sucker they roped in. These girls frequently look FAR older than they are, and act it too. As I understand this particular case, which even the “victim” who got an undisclosed amount of money from Polanski, she was encouraged in this activity by HER OWN MOTHER.
Polanski has had a terrible, miserable, hellish existence for much of his life, enduring pain most of us could not even imagine. He is now 76. And yet all you great moralistic zealots out there would pursue him to the grave for an obvious mistake – and probable set up – but yet you would let those who deliberately lie us into wars that cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives, go free. WHERE ARE YOUR PRIORITIES????? You all SUCK.
He gave a 13 year old a Quaalude, assaulted her
then fled the country! Prosecution of a felony
is never at the discretion of the victim.
How much ‘wiggle room’ do you think you would
get?
To Nowglrmin13yo said #35:
I think 32 years for a man who is now 76 with no other charges or even accusations brought against him in this or any other country that I know of, should be enough wiggle room to simply let him grow old and die in peace. Even the woman who was involved wants to drop this – why can’t you, and the rest of the holier than thou zealots in this country?
This man, whose mother was murdered by Nazis, and his wife and unborn child murdered by the Manson family, was fooled by a 13 year old, whose mother set her up for the encounter, obviously to get money and or perks, and who looked and acted far older than her age. Like many, many other men before and after him, he doesn’t have any track record of pedophilia – he was fooled BY ONE GIRL. This is not uncommon – I have seen it myself and I AM a woman. Just because a girl is under age does not make her some kind of plaster saint. And just because a man made a mistake 30 years ago doesn’t make him some kind of devil.
Try to find some compassion for others – if this girl – who ALSO made a mistake 30+ years ago could do it – surely you can too. The real villain here is the girl’s mother and she’s probably dead.
Roman Polanski didn’t commit genocide! The jack-asses in LA obviously don’t have anything better to do in crime city than hound a nazi victim – and do it with the complicity of the nazi-friendly government of Switzerland. What’s goin’ on here? Even if he were guilty of something serious, hasn’t the 76-year-old suffered enough in his wife. Has everyone forgotten his wife, Sharon Tate, was butchered by Charles Manson? Who are those brain-dead scum-bags in LA, anyway? Why can’t they leave the poor bastard alone? And why is Switzerland so compliant?
According to Geimer, Polanski asked Geimer’s mother if he could photograph the girl for the French edition of Vogue, which Polanski had been invited to guest-edit. Her mother allowed a private photo shoot. According to Geimer in a 2003 interview, “Everything was going fine; then he asked me to change, well, in front of him.” She added, “It didn’t feel right, and I didn’t want to go back to the second shoot.”
Geimer later agreed to a second session, which took place on March 10, 1977 at the Mulholland area home of actor Jack Nicholson in Los Angeles. “We did photos with me drinking champagne,” Geimer says. “Toward the end it got a little scary, and I realized he had other intentions and I knew I was not where I should be. I just didn’t quite know how to get myself out of there.” She recalled in a 2003 interview that she began to feel uncomfortable after he asked her to lie down on a bed, and how she attempted to resist. “I said, ‘No, no. I don’t want to go in there. No, I don’t want to do this. No!”, and then I didn’t know what else to do,” she stated.[26]
Geimer testified that Polanski performed various sexual acts on her[27][28][29] after giving her a combination of champagne and quaaludes.[30]
Polanski was initially charged[31] with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance (methaqualone) to a minor. These charges were dismissed under the terms of his plea bargain, and he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.[32]
#38–Mike==you’ve been coming up with “facts” more lately than before. New hobby”
Well, in taking Mike’s facts as the truth of the matter, I think the Mother really is at fault now.
Mothers usually are at fault for just about everything. I remind my own mother of this every chance I get. We have a warm and wonderful relationship as a result.
Should it be even be legally possible to rape a movie star or model? ((Regards to Notting Hill.))
Jack Nicholson just gets creepier and creepier with time…
Everyone
The fact that Mr Polanski has had an extremely difficult life with horrible heartbreaking events is COMPLETLY IRRELEVENT to the discussion of his rape of a 13 year old girl. Stop making excuses for his actions and be relieved that justice can take place, even 32 years after the fact.
Everyone
Not COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT. Just something to add to the mix.
When the victim doesn’t care, for whatever reasons, the whole issue of “statutory rape” becomes more a subject of social mores than criminality.
Sex, with and without drugs, is not the worst thing in the world. Prison actually is much worse==disproportional in fact, something unconstitutional/illegal in itself.
Like many, many other men before and after him, he doesn’t have any track record of pedophilia – he was fooled BY ONE GIRL.
How is one fooled by a girl that is known to be 13? How is one fooled by a girl that you have given drugs and alcohol? How is one fooled by a girl that says no multiple times?
And just because a man made a mistake 30 years ago doesn’t make him some kind of devil.
And he made another “mistake” when he pleaded guilty and then fled the country. And he’s made a mistake every single day since when he didn’t turn himself in. It would be one thing if he made a mistake and acted responsibly by accepting the legal consequences of that action. Instead he has chosen to avoid those consequences ever since. No that doesn’t make him some kind of devil but it does make him a fugitive from justice. If he really wanted to clear up the situation he has had plenty of time to do so.
Of course The Smoking Gun has the court documents of the case: http://thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html
If he wanted to get away with it, he should have become a Catholic priest.
Hey JC==you seem to be investing a lot of moral indignation against poor ol Roman. Do you see any and all sex between an old man and a 13 yo as exactly the same, deserving of a single societal response, or is there “a range” of possible evaluations that would allow for some variability.
And while you’re at it, what is the “exact harm” you find so blameworthy and is that blame still worthy if the victim involved does not experience that harm?
Manson follower Susan Atkins who had killed Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate died a couple of days ago and now this announced arrest of Roman Polanski.
What I can’t understand is, how did Polanski manage to evade the law all these years with the so called technology of cameras and GPS, etc. There is just NO way that one can hide from the law with all of technology that is out there.
Something is just screwy here. I think the authorities DID know where he was hiding all these years. And one has to question as to why did they decide to arrest him NOW and not arrest him from years ago? Not to mention that this is going to cost taxpayers money for a trial that will drag on for years.
This is another example of how there is no such thing as “justice” in the justice system in the USA. Criminals go free while the innocent and victims get sent to prison.
I could be wrong but I assume he lived in France that would not extradite him nor allow an arrest warrant to be served on him. That doesn’t make sex with underaged kiddies legal in France, but close enough for Roman.
Switzerland is “nice” but if I were Roman, I would have stayed in France.
# 37 iogle
So: My father was murdered for the cash in his pocket by unknown thugs in Mexico thought to be the police. Later, my wife and son were slaughtered by a drunk driver. I think I’ve suffered enough. Okay with you if I go out and find your 13 year-old daughter (or your 40 year-old sister) fix her up with sedatives and alcohol and then overpower her and rape her a few times? Really, I’ve suffered enough. I deserve to be able to rape a little. Mmmmm. Sodomy.
Hey Animby==would you drive your 13 yo daughter over to anybodies house for an “artistic photo shoot” and leave her alone?
Are all rapes equally reprehensible?
He had sex with minor and fled the country. Bad news, that’s illegal and he knows it. If found guilty, he deserves to go to jail. If Samantha Geimer has something to say, that’s for sentencing and victim’s statements.
That’s the even handed approach. This will be an American court case with gobs of media and over-the-top trial lawyers. Expect a circus starting with the extradition.
Of course, how many rock and country music stars have done this? How many youth ministers and priests? Mormon cults forcing underage girls to wed and have children? Unfortunately this is a crime where the “even hand of the law” has never applied.
I think “the punishment” that fits the crime would be incarceration at a mental facility with expert counseling services paid for by Polanski until he understands how wrong his actions were, along with the victim should she want it, or for a time certain not to exceed two years.
I’ve heard two female news commentors say “Rape is Rape.” Why would they even say that except they know it isn’t?
Like everything else, this human activity falls on a continuum. I can think of many, if not most things, that are quite worse.
Sorry but liberals have nothing to do with this. If the man did what it seems likely he did, he should be put under counseling, if he already hasn’t and kept away from the populace at large in some fashion, by jail, house arrest or 24/7 monitoring. I won’t debate the fine points of hows on this. Anyone of any stripe should be incensed on his crime if true.
Not to be an apologist but I wonder if this wasn’t some isolated incident on his part due to some other extenuating psychological factors. Lord knows he had tons of problems prior to this incident (re: Manson) and a few contributing factors could have been drug related too. What has been his history since then? Has he caused any further harm to underage people? If not, it may be that he was acting abnormally for himself and this was an isolated incident. But not being that familiar with his case, this is speculation and I think a stretch. Let the legal system do its work here.
Besides, there’s many more criminals that we need to get in jail (Shrub administration). I hope the media drops mention of Mr. Polanski quickly. I doubt that will happen though since the media cares most about sensationalism and this case is certainly that.
I think this all happened because he won an Oscar in 2002 and brought more attention to himself.
Was the late Bobby Fischer the last sleb to get nabbed at an airport under a US warrant? That didn’t turn out so well.
#47 in that case at first they didn’t want to pursue him. Didn’t USA issue Fischer a new passport *after* the indictment came down concerning his 1992 rematch with Boris Spassky? In that indictment, playing chess (for money) was considered trading with the enemy (which at that time was Yugoslavia / Serbia). Later AFAIR there were IRS charges too.
I think the real question is why NOW ?
Polanski has a “chalet” in Gstaad and could be arrested anytime he was staying there…
i wish they would hang the bastard, and no i don’t give a fuck that it happened so long ago or that he may have won a prize for his work
Why the push or psychiatric counseling? If the man is able to make movies, he probably shouldn’t be in a mental institution. Then again, after watching some of these movies…
wtf, the case happened 32 years ago, the girl who was raped was paid a very nice amount of money and is living the good life for being raped by a director when other girls in the world get nothing. Not to mention the tragedys in his life and the fact that he didnt know she was 13 years old and u ppl still want to carry out “justice” on him??
He could share a jail cell with Manson!!!
He was married to Sharron Tate
People want to make everything a liberal vs conservative debate but an issue like this shouldn’t break along those lines.
I’m a liberal and I’m not very sympathetic for Polanski. I’m a huge film fan and I think Polanski is a great director — even so, I think he was very wrong in every aspect of this.
My only point of possible sympathy is that some people claim his trial was a circus — he only plead guilty in order to get a plea bargain. Then the judge rescinded the plea-bargain but kept his guilty plea.
I don’t know about the merits of this specific case, but I am absolutely convinced that the plea-bargain system often creates misjustice. I would expect even some conservatives would agree with me on this.