Roman Polanski Finally Arrested For Having Drugged And Raped 13-Year-Old Three Decades Ago
But already there’s apparently talk of this being his path to freedom instead of an end to his flight from justice.
LOS ANGELES — A surprise arrest at the Zurich airport, detention at the hands of Swiss authorities, and a high-profile extradition process that could take weeks or months. The irony is that for Roman Polanski, the acclaimed director accused of child rape three decades ago, this latest ordeal could lead to the one thing he’s lacked since: his freedom.
Polanski’s arrest as he arrived Saturday in Switzerland for a film festival honor could potentially spur on his legal team’s recent motion to dismiss charges that have dogged him since he fled the U.S. for France in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.
France is condemning Polanski’s arrest, and it’s worth noting that his victim in this crime forgave him publicly some time ago, and at 79 years old it seems unlikely that Polanski would commit his crimes again.
All that being said, the law is the law right? And nobody is above the law, especially not celebrities and other public figures. I don’t know that Polanski could have maintained his high-profile flight from US authorities were it not for his fame and wealth. If Polanski were just a run-of-the-mill child rapist I have a feeling that he would have been put in jail years ago. But because he’s a renowned director and celebrity, he’s managed to evade US authorities for nearly four decades and now after all this time may get off with little more than a slap on the wrist.
That’s wrong, as far as I’m concerned. And raping a thirteen-year-old and then fleeing trial are crimes Polanski should be held accountable for.
