BBC: Outcry Over Polanski's Detention

[Seraphim]

BBC: Outcry Over Polanski's Detention

Is this a case where "laws are for the little people", or "he's had a rough life, so what if he had sex with a 13 year old girl"?

This guy should have been in prison years ago. Unreal...

[tetrapak]

"rough life" ?

- he escaped from a ghetto from the nazis
- his mother was killed in Auschwitz
- his pregnant wife was brutally murdered

I've read that the girl who had sex with Polanski asked to drop the case long ago. If it was a rape I agree he should go to jail, but not sure if that is the case. Little bit of additional information:

"The New York Academy of Medicine claims that over 40% of young teens in the US have lost their virginity by the age of 14." - Don't tell me they all had sex with people at the same age.. I guess a large percentage of the US should actually be in jail then.. Oh wait, ordinary people don't get this type of media attention.

[Seraphim]

"rough life" ?

- he escaped from a ghetto from the nazis
- his mother was killed in Auschwitz
- his pregnant wife was brutally murdered

I've read that the girl who had sex with Polanski asked to drop the case long ago. If it was a rape I agree he should go to jail, but not sure if that is the case. Little bit of additional information:

"The New York Academy of Medicine claims that over 40% of young teens in the US have lost their virginity by the age of 14." - Don't tell me they all had sex with people at the same age.. I guess a large percentage of the US should actually be in jail then.. Oh wait, ordinary people don't get this type of media attention.

According to Wikipedia, Polanski gave the girl champagne and quaaludes, forced her to undress in front of him, and then told her to lie down on the bed. The victim claims she said, "No, no. I don’t want to go in there. No, I don’t want to do this. No!" Seems like a cut and dry case, otherwise you would think Polanski could sue for serious defamation.

[FormerDnForumer]

nevermind.

[Seraphim]

Actually, it's hardly cut and dry.

Until you see the HBO documentary on Polanski and the absolute corruption of the judge in the case, you don't know even half the story.

It's hardly cut and dry? What about Polanski's history of having sex with other underage women? He had sex with Nastassja Kinski when she was 15 and he was 43, that is a fact.

[katherine]

I guess a large percentage of the US should actually be in jail then..

Actually, the US has more inmates per capita than any other nation on Earth
Many things that could get you in jail there would result in a fine elsewhere.

Nonetheless, you can criticize US justice, that's one thing. But it seems double standards are at work again.
The case should have been settled long ago.
How could he ignore the 13-old year girl was clearly underage ?
Not to mention that sex without consent is - well - rape.
Are these facts correct ? No vote of sympathy from me

[Mike Cruz]

Actually, the US has more inmates per capita than any other nation on Earth
Many things that could get you in jail there would result in a fine elsewhere.

Nonetheless, you can criticize US justice, that's one thing. But it seems double standards are at work again.
The case should have been settled long ago.
How could he ignore the 13-old year girl was clearly underage ?
Not to mention that sex without consent is - well - rape.
Are these facts correct ? No vote of sympathy from me

Yeap, sex with a minor in the U.S. without consent is considered statutory rape and I believe myself he should get jail time.

I didn't bother getting too much into the article, but is this a case from 32 years ago or is there a new instance? Not that it really matters, but just would like to know why it took 32 years for it to come up again...

[tetrapak]

It's hardly cut and dry? What about Polanski's history of having sex with other underage women? He had sex with Nastassja Kinski when she was 15 and he was 43, that is a fact.

Is that not legal in Poland? Not because of Polanski, but if I remember correctly you moved there.

In case it is rape I agree that he should be in jail, even though I absolutely respect his work. In case it is sex with a 13 years old girl.. Not so sure, just at this moment thousands of girls at that age are having sex in the US, like it or not.

Kate, we all know that laws are not made to fit every case, each girl is different at this age. I know girls that were not mature enough for sex at the age of 18, and sluts at the age of 14. Sad, but true.

[Seraphim]

Not that it really matters, but just would like to know why it took 32 years for it to come up again...

Good question. Motivation was probably political or financial, like the recent Lockerbie bomber release. Or, maybe Interpol had trouble finding Roman's huge villa?

[tetrapak]

Yeap, sex with a minor in the U.S. without consent is considered statutory rape and I believe myself he should get jail time.

I didn't bother getting too much into the article, but is this a case from 32 years ago or is there a new instance? Not that it really matters, but just would like to know why it took 32 years for it to come up again...

He was hiding in Europe.

[FormerDnForumer]

It's certainly impossible to have a sane discussion about this topic, so I will post this and bow out, as I can predict how this thread will go.

No one has ever suggested that Polanski didn't do the crime. The question is whether he was treated fairly by the system. If you see the film, you will most certainly realize he was not. It was an absolute farce. It was BECAUSE he was a celebrity that he was treated worse not better, and you can't help but feel there were two victims in this sordid story, not just the poor girl.

Both the the defense attorneys and the actual PROSECUTOR in the case issued a joint statement supporting the conclusions of the film when it was challenged by the Court of Los Angeles. If you see the film it will become all clear.

Additionally, when negotiations went on in 1977 to return Polanski to the US, the new judge in the case screwed it up by insisting, get this, that the proceedings be televised. Ridiculous.

L.A. Special Prosecutor Richard Doyle told Britain’s Channel Four News in an interview last year: “...It does shed new light on what occurred. There was some impropriety that the Judge at the time was involved in. And that was mostly to the detriment of Mr Polanski. I think it’s fair to say that the justice system in his case did not work as well as it should have.”

There's lots more, but I would urge anyone who has an interest to see the HBO film. It is, more than anything else, a fascinating documentary from many different angles, and it may change the way you see the case.

[Raider]

Very odd this arrest happened so close to Susan Atkins death... I feel for the Man but he still needs to pay for what he did, Sadly, I doubt that will happen.

They say Poland and France will ask President Obama to grant Polanski Clemency, Memories of Bill Clinton's pardon of FUGITIVE Mark Rich must be on their minds right about now, If Clinton did it, maybe Obama will do it to... Question is; Will Obama risk the political fallout to kiss up to France and Poland? Looking back at his apology tours, he just might.

[Mike Cruz]

lol responses are lol

[JuniperPark]

It will be funny if Obama is involved, since his daughter is 13.

If he lets Polnakski go, SOMEONE is going to Obama "Hey, would you give me the thumbs up to go ahead and get your daughter drunk, then drunk her, then rape while she shouts "no!" and "stop!"?

Either it's OK to do, or it isn't.

[FormerDnForumer]

Salon has a very well written piece about the whole thing.

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/...lanski_arrest/

[DomainsInc]

The girl may be sick of the case and just wants to forget it but I find it pretty funny that people think he got an unfair shake because he was a celeb. If it was an average joe he'd be in jail for a good while. Timothy Leary ran from charges in the US (charges which are BS compared to the rape of the 13 year old by an adult in a position of authority) and decades later he still had to pay the piper. I don't see why anyone would feel sorry for him. Sure, he had a lot of bad shit happen to him but there are many people spending their lives in prison who had shitty lives too and no one cared then.

[Raider]

I don't know why some are even arguing about his innocence, he did plead GUILTY did he not? I also don't understand why he fled, he wasn't facing very much prison time on the one charge he pled guilty to.

It will be funny if Obama is involved, since his daughter is 13.

If he lets Polnakski go, SOMEONE is going to Obama "Hey, would you give me the thumbs up to go ahead and get your daughter drunk, then drunk her, then rape while she shouts "no!" and "stop!"?

Either it's OK to do, or it isn't.

In America, it's a no win for Obama if he grants clemency , The only reason I could see him doing it, is to appease to Poland and France.

[HarveyJ]

Kinda creepy, and he probably did it. Do I care? Not really.
There's something a bit off about nearly every creative genius you'd care to mention. Mental instability seems to be part and parcel. I would like to point out that it was the 70s when this happened, and it wasn't that uncommon, as tragic as that actually is.

I think the truly bizarre part of this is that the "alert" issued for his arrest 4 years ago was based on a crime nearly 30 years old at the time, for which he'd already been tried.

According to the most easily and anonymously edited source of information to have ever existed ...

I fixed that for you
Any time any one falls into the public eye for anything, information on Wikipedia should be instantly disregarded or believed to be inaccurate.

[Seraphim]

I fixed that for you
Any time any one falls into the public eye for anything, information on Wikipedia should be instantly disregarded or believed to be inaccurate.

I only edited Jimmy Wales profile twice, and that was a long time ago. Times have changed.

[Raider]

LMAO that Hollywood is demanding his release, Like our laws don't apply to the rich and famous, Seems the only time it applies to them is when somebody does something against them, Like taking their picture without permission, That's when they scream for justice. Nothing by Hollywood Hypocrites.

If this was a 30 year old case of murder instead of rape of a minor, I wonder if Hollywood would be making the same demands.