Polanski, of “Rosemary’s Baby” fame, and widower of Manson Family victim Sharon Tate, was convicted in the U.S. of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. In 1977. He reportedly gave the girl alcohol and Quaaludes before allegedly raping her.
Given the charges, Polanski got a heckuva deal 32 years ago, when he copped to unlawful sexual intercourse and drew a 90-day prison term (for a psychiatric evaluation).
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France, where the Polish-born Polanski has dual-citizenship, left him alone. The Swiss recently took a different tack, though, jailing the director, to the howls of stunned Hollywood celebs. Tuesday, Polanski lost his bid to be released from Swiss jail while battling extradition to the U.S.
His lawyers whined that Polanski, now 76, would be bankrupted. Seems his legal woes have interrupted his latest film project, and that’s leaving investors in limbo.
The Swiss court’s ruling boiled down to two words, though: Flight. Risk.
We acknowledge Polanski is an artistic genius. We accept the evaluator’s finding three decades back that he is unlikely to ever reoffend. But just because you’re able to run for 30 years does not entitle you to a free pass, let alone allow you to don the mantle of victim.
Polanski’s approach is, frankly, offensive. More than that, it’s absurd. Thirty-some years ago, he fled from what would have been a 48-day sentence. Had he taken his punishment like a man then, neither he nor his investors would have any worries now.
Tired of Hollywood wrote on Nov 2, 2009 7:34 PM:
When are we as one voice quit going to the movies to send them a message? i say lets do it NOW and maybe thye will finally get it that they are JUST entertainers and should keep their mouths shut and do what is right. "