Roman Polanski detained in Zurich

[MyNameIs]

^Oh my mistake. For some reason I thought they wanted to try the whole thing over again.

 

[sqekcx]

I think sometimes people are too obsessed with doing the 'right' thing. Yeah when someone breaks the law and he goes to jail, that's the right thing. But then it's been so many years and when the person involved wants it to be over, who are we, people not involved, to judge and force something to be done?

 

[NakedIfIWantTo]

^because justice is not just served for the persons involved.

 

[Echoes]

^^^ Says who?


The ONLY one pursuing this is a prosecutor in LA. The 'victim' isn't interested.

 

[Echoes]

If you want to look at justice not being served, look at Jackson paying off his victims to avoid prosecution.

 

[NakedIfIWantTo]

^oh please. Get your facts straight.

 

[Scott]

Are you under the impression that a normal 40-year-old straight man rapes underage girls he is left alone with?!?!?!?! I would like to stand up for straight men everywhere and say that the vast majority are not pedophiles and would do no such thing.

that's not what i'm saying. i mean how much do we really know about the role her mother played? i mean most 'normal' mothers would never allow their child,especially one barely out of adolescence,to be in the presence of not just an older man but a stranger,without any kind of parental supervision or protection. that's my point. how much did she know about and how much did she ignore? i'm sorry but you know the stories about these crazy showbiz mothers,jaded by the pursuit of fame,always pushing their children and i feel like there is more to this than just he being a predator. that's all i'm saying. i'm not defending polanski but i do think there are other parties in this situation that didn't help.

and btw,the victim has come out and said she's relieved at the swiss' decision and hopes now the DA will finally close it once and for all.

 

[eternitygoddess]

I don't see where anyone at all has said that, or even hinted at it.

Have you seen the list of Hollywood actors who threw their support behind him?

If you read through this thread alone, you'll see many disturbing comments excusing his action because he is a "brilliant filmmaker", saying that "the crime doesn't matter anymore because it's after x-amount-of-years", blaming the girl and questioning her promiscuity, blaming the mother and questioning her parenting skills and ulterior motives, saying that it's only because he's famous that the police are after him, throwing out every excuse they can find.

It seems that some members of society do hold certain people above the law.

The ONLY one pursuing this is a prosecutor in LA. The 'victim' isn't interested.

The victim's personal interest does not bear weight any longer, and cannot be used as an argument for dismissing this case. As t-rex so eloquently wrote previously:

It doesn't matter if the victim has moved on. Law is not solely here just to give justice to victims, it is also to uphold basic standards of society to make it safe for other people. Everyone has to follow the law, no one can slide.

 

[jomarlushka]

latimes.com

L.A. NOW
Roman Polanski victim: Director is not a threat, prosecution should end
July 13, 2010 | 7:45 am

iSamantha Geimer, who as a 13-year-old girl was at the center of the Roman Polanski sex case, called on prosecutors to halt the case against the famed director.

"Enough is enough. This matter should have been resolved 33 years ago," she said in an interview with The Times on Monday night.

Polanski had sex with Geimer at Jack Nicholson's home in 1977 -- sparking the epic case that appeared to end Monday when Swiss officials said they would not extradite the Oscar-winning director back to L.A. to face sentencing.

Geimer, who has in the past publicly forgiven Polanski, said she can't understand why prosecutors continue to pursue the director, maintaining that he's not a threat to anyone.

"At 76 years old? I don't think so."

She was forbidden from talking about the civil-suit settlement she and Polanski reached, but said that didn't influence her opinion that the case should have been ended years ago.

"People say I have ulterior motives," she said. "That doesn't make it true. I've felt this way from the beginning."

In Los Angeles and Washington, however, officials vowed to continue their pursuit of Polanski, though their options are now significantly limited.

“A 13-year-old girl was drugged and raped,” said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley. “This is not a matter of technicality.”

The Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police said the U.S. had failed to turn over certain documents requested by the Swiss.

L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, who led the effort to bring Polanski back to the U.S., said he was dumbfounded by the decision. “Mr. Polanski is still convicted of serious child sex charges,” Cooley said. "The Swiss could not have found a smaller hook on which to hang their hat.”

poor woman - i can understand her not wanting having to deal with it...
i wonder how all the stars feel about Polanski and his 'morals' and still deciding to do movies with him?! if i had kids i would not like to leave them with him...i mean, if he found some drugs, would he get back to his old behaviour and then blame it on the drugs? i know many years passed but he just escaped his sentence by escaping...that is not fair and other criminals have to face their punishment as well...i don't understand why some people rate Polanski with different criteria because of his talent...i do not deny him being a wonderful director and having talent but that doesn't change the fact that he commited a crime and he should be held responsible for it like he was 30 years ago and he just did not have to face it because he illegaly escaped..

 

[Scott]

eternitygoddess,so by that you excuse the mother too?

and no,i don't believe anybody is above the law. in fact,had they got their evidence in order from the very beginning perhaps we wouldn't be having such a huge debate over this. but they didn't and they still haven't. like the victim said,this should have been dealt with 30 bleeding years ago when they still had him!

and countering your charge,don't you think how they're chasing him,they too are playing on in his level of fame? don't you think they have enough heinous crimes going on in LA that should be focused on right now? of course not...they're spending loads of tax-payers money because they want the big director who fled and they want the kudos for getting him too. so it goes both ways.

 

[eternitygoddess]

eternitygoddess,so by that you excuse the mother too?

I do not think whatever motives the mother had (if she had any), or her supposed lack of parenting skills, has any leverage in arguing that Polanski is less guilty of his crime, or his crime was less severe.

and countering your charge,don't you think how they're chasing him,they too are playing on in his level of fame? don't you think they have enough heinous crimes going on in LA that should be focused on right now? of course not...they're spending loads of tax-payers money because they want the big director who fled and they want the kudos for getting him too. so it goes both ways.

I say that's its quite well that's he's famous enough that he can't hope to disappear in Europe and conveniently erase this crime from his record.

 

[m.j.]

i am v. happy that Polanski is free, and also i am glad to see that people understand that this case is not black or white.
i would really like if you would stop with all argument. we do not know anything for sure. case dropped. and if you really care about people, do something meaningful. give clothes to charity, volunteer in a hospital. that makes you a better person, not just typing sth you know nothing about.

 

[cate-lola]

The mothers actions at the time make no difference to me, it wouldn't even matter if the 13 year old girl was willing (not saying she was, just if) or any circumstances - 13years is 13 years old and he was an adult. An adult knows it's wrong to have sex (consented or not) with a 13 year old girl. End of.

And it doesn't matter that the poor victim wants nothing to do with the case - he broke the law and a serious law at that so he should be punished. If a crime is committed there should be a punishment.

I'm indifferent to Roman Polanski as a director but this is my opinion on the actual subject in general.

 

[Echoes]

he broke the law and a serious law at that so he should be punished.

That's one of the big questions. Did he? Or did she make it all up? Is there any real proof? Any forensic evidence at all? Any witnesses? As I understand it, the reason the DA's Office offered the plea deal is because the case was so weak, they weren't sure they could get a conviction.

It's not uncommon for the accused to plead to a lesser charge even though they're not guilty at all just to make it go away and avoid high legal fees. He was apparently offered a minimal sentence, possibly no jail time at all when he agreed to the deal. It wasn't until later that somebody backed out of the deal and the trouble began.

 

[cate-lola]

According to some reports I read he apparently mentions in his autobiography that she was a willing participant.

Having not read the autobiography I don't know this to true and newspapers aren't always fact but he seems to be quoted on this.

 

[ettebe]

Most of you that wanted to see him locked up. Blame the US. They didn't want to play ball.

 

[fashionista-ta]

According to some reports I read he apparently mentions in his autobiography that she was a willing participant.

Having not read the autobiography I don't know this to true and newspapers aren't always fact but he seems to be quoted on this.

Sounds like a confession to me, if that's the case ... As has been mentioned many times, 13 is statutory r*pe. It's a bit disingenous to administer controlled substances to someone of any age, though, and then call them a willing participant ...

Probably many 13-yo crime victims have parents who suck, and put them in dangerous situations ... neither here nor there. The person who commits the crime is still responsible.

 

[eternitygoddess]

According to some reports I read he apparently mentions in his autobiography that she was a willing participant.

Key word being: autobiography.

 

[Cinthia]

its still r*pe even if she was willing. a 13 year old cannot consent.