Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland

[homer13j]

http://www.reuters.com/article/media...R8949520090927

The article is inaccurate. Polanski is not "facing charges" for "having sex" with a 13-year old girl, he was convicted of raping a 13-year old girl. He fled the country prior to his sentencing, and paid off the girl's family to avoid a civil suit.

What I don't understand is the European outrage over this arrest. Do these people honestly believe Polanski should not be held responsible for his actions?
Anger in France and Poland after Polanski arrest

By Crispian Balmer

PARIS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - France's political elite rallied to the defence of Roman Polanski on Sunday, calling on Switzerland to free the 76-year-old film director rather than extradite him to the United States. Artists and film makers also urged the release of Polanski, who faces charges of having sex with a girl of 13 in 1977, accusing Switzerland of being overzealous in pursuing the case.

Polanski was due to receive a prize for his life's work at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, but was arrested on a 1978 U.S. arrest warrant after arriving in Switzerland on Saturday.

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said he was "stunned" by the news, adding that both he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to see the acclaimed director returned swiftly to his family.

"(Mitterrand) profoundly regrets that a new ordeal is being inflicted on someone who has already known so many during his life," the culture ministry said in a statement.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also issued a statement, saying he had spoken to his Swiss counterpart to demand that Polanski's rights were fully respected and that a "favourable" solution be rapidly found.

Polanski holds French citizenship and is married to French singer actress Emmanuelle Seigner. He has spent much of his life here since fleeing the United States in 1978, but regularly visits countries where he does not expect extradition woe.

Robert Harris, a British novelist who said he had been working with Polanski for much of the past three years writing two screenplays, expressed outrage over the arrest.

"I am shocked that any man of 76, whether distinguished or not, should have been treated in such a fashion," he said in a statement, adding that Polanski had often visited Switzerland and even had a house in Gstaad.

"It is hard not to believe that this heavy-handed action must be in some way politically motivated," he said.

Born in Paris, Polanski moved to Poland with his Jewish family when still a toddler shortly before World War Two. His mother died in a Nazi concentration camp, but Polanski avoided capture and spent his youth in Poland before moving to the West.

His ties with Poland are still strong and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he might appeal directly to the United States over the case.

"I am considering approaching the American authorities over the possibility of the U.S. president proclaiming an act of clemency which would settle the matter once and for all," Sikorski was quoted as saying by the PAP news agency.

Poland's film-makers' association also rose to his defence.

"We do not understand why the Swiss invited Polanski to a film festival, where he was to have received a life's achievement award, and then arrested him," said association president, Jacek Bromski.

"We regard that as a scandalous situation and an example of incomprehensible overzealousness." (Additional reporting by Warsaw bureau; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

[kleinma]

If he wasn't a famous director, this would be news for all of 5 minutes and he would be locked up and key thrown away. He doesn't deserve any different treatment than anyone else convicted of the same crime.

[demotivater]

Been a long time coming. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Hopefully, he gets to spend the rest of his days in the clink.

[vbcode1980]

What I don't understand is the European outrage over this arrest. Do these people honestly believe Polanski should not be held responsible for his actions?

Of course he shouldn't. He's famous! And famous people live above the law.
What's the point in being famous (and giving up privacy etc..) if it doesn't bring you any rewards?

[penagate]

The crime was committed in the States. He is being held in Switzerland.

[dclamp]

The crime was committed in the States. He is being held in Switzerland.

Maybe Switzerland wants some money for him. That is if the US is willing to pay to extradite.

[abhijit]

The whole circus is going to cost the tax payers a lot of money.
Dropping the case at this time would be much easier.

[kleinma]

Since when has costing the tax payers a lot of money been a factor in Govt decision making?

[homer13j]

The whole circus is going to cost the tax payers a lot of money.
Dropping the case at this time would be much easier.

Well, of course it would be easier. It would be easier still to not prosecute anyone for any crime.

I was hoping for some better arguments as to why some think this guy should skate. The excuses I'm reading on other boards go something like this...

1. Locking him up would deprive us of his "wonderful films"
2. His pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson cult, therefore he has "suffered enough"
3. The crime occurred more than 30 years ago
4. Switzerland is "losing its sovereignty" (insert "LOL WUT" pic here)
5. The victim does not want him to do time
6. America is evil and incarcerates way too many people as it is
7. It will cost money
8. It wasn't "rape-rape"

All quite lame in my humble opinion.

[abhijit]

Since when has costing the tax payers a lot of money been a factor in Govt decision making?

That's a good point

[abhijit]

Well, of course it would be easier. It would be easier still to not prosecute anyone for any crime.

I was hoping for some better arguments as to why some think this guy should skate. The excuses I'm reading on other boards go something like this...

1. Locking him up would deprive us of his "wonderful films"
2. His pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson cult, therefore he has "suffered enough"
3. The crime occurred more than 30 years ago
4. Switzerland is "losing its sovereignty" (insert "LOL WUT" pic here)
5. The victim does not want him to do time
6. America is evil and incarcerates way too many people as it is
7. It will cost money
8. It wasn't "rape-rape"

All quite lame in my humble opinion.

I feel justice should be swift.
1. I haven't seen any of his films and I don't really care.
2. I have no idea when that happened.
3. There is a statute of limitation on some crimes. That's what I keep hearing. I don't think that should be an excuse in this case.
4.
5. The victim was a 13 year old girl. The person who doesn't want him to do time is 43 year old middle aged woman.
6.
7. That's the only point that has some merit. It will cost too much money, unless they don't offer him a trial.

I am kinda amused by the fact Mr Woody Allen is supporting Mr Polanski.

[kleinma]

Statue of limitations doesn't play a role in situations where someone was convicted of a crime, and then flees before they can be sentenced for what they plead guilty to. That person is considered a fugitive at that point.

[Davadvice]

no trial needed (well in the us) wait till you see how long it takes to get this animal back where he belongs. personaly i would leave him to suffer with the parents of children who have suffered with his type. then waste the b*****d.

[wossname]

The civilised world lacks a means of disposal for examples of Polanksi's kind.

It would have to be something that appeases the humanitarian movement, as oxymoronic as that seems. It would have to be cost-effective, because of the global recession. It would have to be monitored because of health and safety legislation and above all it should be terminal! They could televise it too, that's about as real as reality TV can get.

So basically a firing squad during the Superbowl ad-break. Stick a can of Pepsi on his head and you've got product placement too.

[capsulecorpjx]

In American prisons, the rapist sometimes becomes the rapee.

[Davadvice]

caps, U know this how???

[demotivater]

They ought to make him pay restitution for government expenses.

By the way, Whoopi Goldberg needs a good kick in the ding ding. You know she's got one.

[EntityX]

I watched David Letterman in the middle of his show tell his story about someone trying to extort $ 2 million from him because they had proof he was fooling around with some of the women that work for him. The audience wasn't completely with it and was laughing when he was trying to tell a serious story. It's the only time I can remember seeing him be annoyed at getting a laugh because he wasn't looking for a laugh. The person trying to extort the money was arrested and I guess Letterman decided it was better to tell the story himself about his indiscretions instead of having people hear about it later from other sources.