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| Europe |
| Festival says director Roman Polanski in Swiss custody |
| 2009-09-27 |
| THE director Roman Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on a 31-year-old US warrant, AP reports. Organisers of the Zurich Film Festival said Polanski was detained by police yesterday. Zurich police did not immediately confirm the information to AP. It is understood he traveled to Switzerland to receive a lifetime award for his work as a director. Polanski fled the United States for France in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with an underage girl. Polanski was originally indicted on six charges, including rape, for having sex with a 13-year-old girl after plying her with champagne and drugs. He insisted the sex was consensual but pleaded guilty to a single count of having sex with a minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Polanski spent 42 days incarcerated for psychiatric evaluation in 1978, but fled before sentencing because he became convinced the judge intended to send him back to prison, contrary to a plea agreement he had made with prosecutors. A citizen of his native France, Polanski cannot be extradited but faces arrest if he sets foot back on US soil. Vilified in the U.S. media at the time, the director has earned a measure of sympathy in Hollywood and won an Academy Award for directing 2002's Holocaust drama "The Pianist." His attorneys had sought to disqualify the entire Los Angeles County court system from hearing the matter, a request that was rejected earlier this month by a California appeals court. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 You think they are kinder to "short eyes" in da big house if the offender is an artiste with an Oscar? Yeah, I didn't think so, either...hope the fondue was worth it, Roman... |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-09-27 18:26 |
| #8 the now-44 yr old victim wants no part of this, but that's not germaine. He already pled guilty, then left the country before sentencing. It's a done deal |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-09-27 13:31 |
| #7 Plus he tied her up before he raped her. I hope the victim gets to confront him during the trial. P.S. A friend of mine was eating at Tommy's in Hollywood ~3 AM when in walks Roman Polanski with a 14 year old girl. They order and sit down and proceed to make out right at the table. This was before the rape incident, so my friend was not surprised at all when it happened. I guess consensual sex got too boring for old Roman. |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2009-09-27 13:17 |
| #6 Too bad, Roman. I still think Chinatown is one of the best movies I've ever seen. But doing it with a 13-year-old is not OK. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-09-27 13:00 |
| #5 Yeah. He gave a 13-year-old girl quaaludes and alcohol (who the F gives alcohol to a 13-year-old, much less quaaludes) and then anally raped her. And yet he's the toast of Tinseltown. Why? Well because he's an artiste, and they are above our petty morality. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-09-27 11:20 |
| #4 I foresee a myriad of candle-light vigils and fundraisers coming out of Hollyweird in support of this POS. Sad. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-27 11:16 |
| #3 A waste of time and money. Did they have to wait for the stabber of his wife to die of brain cancer before they arrested him? |
| Posted by: Penguin 2009-09-27 10:45 |
| #2 Makes Rob Lowe sweat. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2009-09-27 10:26 |
| #1 The toast of Hollywood accused of pedophilia? Who knew? |
| Posted by: Sping Gonque6461 2009-09-27 08:17 |