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A COURT IN Poland has ruled that the law forbids the extradition of filmmaker Roman Polanski to the US, where he pleaded guilty nearly four decades ago to having sex with a minor.
The decision by a judge in Krakow could close the case in Polanski’s favor, providing the US does not appeal it.
But an appeal — if successful — could make an extradition likely, because the new Law and Justice party government to be installed in November has indicated there would be no leniency for Polanski, as it makes a point of applying laws strictly and equally to all.
Judge Dariusz Mazur said the case is very complicated but an extradition procedure would violate the human rights of the 83-year-old Polanski because he could be subjected to confinement.
Polanski’s lawyers argued today that the US request has legal flaws and said the filmmaker already served a prison term under a deal with a Los Angeles judge.
“This is not about justice or the interest of the victim,” lawyer Jan Olszewski said.
Oscar-winner Polanski was in Krakow today but did not appear in court.
The director pleaded guilty in 1977 to one count of statutory rape for having sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles. He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric study at a state prison, where he served 42 days.
Lawyers have said they understood from a private conversation with the judge that the time in prison would be Polanski’s punishment, but they said the judge later suggested Polanski would go back to prison, at which point he fled to France.
The Polish court’s verdict is subject to appeal within seven days
Polanski is a celebrity in Poland, and public opinion in his childhood country has been mostly in his favour. He won an Academy Award for best director for his 2002 film The Pianist and was nominated for 1974′s Chinatown and 1979′s Tess.
Polanski’s movements are restricted by an Interpol warrant in effect in 188 countries, but he is avoiding extradition by remaining only in France, Poland and Switzerland.
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Can’t believe such high profile actors still work with him.
was just about to say that.
Rape culture at its finest.
Because he’s an “artiste” it probably makes it okay. The liberal luvvies are full of sh!t
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He’s a great movie maker…I’ll never forget his version of Macbeth and of course the Pianist was 1st class….I wouldn’t trust him around my 13 year old daughter though.
Macbeth was the first film he did after his pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson family. Probably explains why it was good.
No similarities with the Assange case
At 83 your daughter is safe enough…
The person who he ‘raped’ doesn’t even want him in jail. The whole court case in the US was suspect. Not saying he didn’t do it but an agreement made was being changed and he fled as a result.
There are many high profile people who did very similar to him at the time and never charged. Times have changed and under age sex was not consider pedophilia then which applies to prepubescent children but used now to include underage sex. Not agreeing with it just a different time.
Kal, that “different time” excuse is something the Church has tried to hide behind on many occasions. His actions were illegal at the time. It’s not like the age of consent laws were made up after the fact.
MacBeth was fantastic. Remember, it was made quite soon after Charlie Manson got hold of Sharon Tate. That entire scene / time was very screwed up.
@Kal Opers ” Raped” in quotation marks? Really? Do you know anything about this case? He drugged a child with Quaaludes and sodomized her while she struggled and tried to get away. What about that isn’t rape?
he raped a kid – being ‘confined’ for that is not a violation of his human rights.
The reasons he decided to make a run for it are not that simple.He was offered a plea bargain and he took it.
But afterwards, former DA David Wells, whose statements were the most damning against Polanski, and who said he advised the judge to imprison Polanski, admitted that he lied about those statements, and said that to the press to “play up” his own role
I still don’t think I give a damn that he didn’t want to serve more than 42 days in prison – he raped a kid. Give him life.
He did face a judge, an agreement was made, and then it turned into a media show trial and the judge reneged on the agreement made and so he did a legger. He initially pleaded not guilty and was going to fight it up until that plea bargain was made. They dropped 5 of the 6 charges in the plea and he accepted the sexual assault against a minor charge. However, afterwards, when he had served the sentence, they moved the goalposts.
Remember also that his victim, Samantha Geimer, has also publicly called for charges to be dropped and for him to be allowed to return to the US. She says she bears no ill-will or malice.
I’d view it very differently if she hadn’t said that.
Isn’t it true that as an adult..his victim said she bears him no Ill will?unusual case..
Yes. She said it was blown out of all proportion, but also said what he did was wrong, and felt he had paid for his mistakes and wanted it laid to rest so they could both get on with their lives. He made a 500k settlement to her too and said she believed he was not a danger to society and would never reoffend.
And if I remember correctly…her MA played a part,as in procuring her daughter??
@Niall…..the power a paedophile has over its victims mind is phenomenal and increases in intensity the younger the victim is so I’m not surprised she has said that or how do you think the Catholic church got away with raping kids for centuries.
A paedophile is someone whose primary or sole attraction is to prepubescent under 11′s. No evidence he’s a a paedophile.
This is more like our old (now changed) statutory rape charge.
God lads I don’t know, 13 is very young.
Niall, stop defending this child rapist.
I’m not defending a child rapist. I’m having a discussion about a film director and his case. If you don’t like that, fcuk off.
Infantophilia sex or attraction to a child under 6
Pedophilia sex with or attraction to a child between 6 and 10
Hebephilia sex with or an attraction to a child 11-14
Ephebophilia sex with or an attraction to a person 14-19 classed as statutory rape dependant on the age of consent Per country or state a person travelling from a country that has a law of 18 as age of consent to a country that has the law of age of consent as 16 is sex tourism and is illegal
Forensics psychology degree some of the matter is not nice but has to be learnt
In above case Russia had a very young age of consent 40 years ago think it was 13 but he is guilty of statutory rape none the less you enter a country you obey their laws simples
I don’t think anybody has made any points about his film direction, so yes you are attempting to defend a child rapist. You seem to think there are degrees of child rape… Tell me…on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is only a ‘good’ child rape, and 10 is a ‘very bad’ child rape, which one would you classify this?
And also, do you agree with the 46 days he served for this or do you think he should have served less?
She never said it was blown out of proportion she said she wanted to forget about it. Its followed her her whole life, she was sick of talking about it.
He needs a good kick in the stones.
People just don’t seem to care about these issues when someone they respect rapes someone.
I remember Irish literature fans jumping to Cathal Ó Searcaigh’s defence because he wrote nice poetry or the fact no Sinn fein supporter will say boo about their cover-ups.
It is clear to see how things went so badly years ago when the Church was revered too much
There’s definitely truth in that. The opposite is also true in that lots of high profile people have also been subjected to inhumane treatment.
One of the worst cases in modern times and should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in justice and sex crimes has been the treatment of Cliff Richard. The UK cops turn up at his door with media cameras and NO evidence whatsoever and INVITE people to level accusations. It was a disgrace. A witch-hunt.
A great load of shite about nothing that happened a long time ago!
same old story -kids don’t matter!
A peado by any other name is still a peado !
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