Roman Polanski has spoken out for the first time in months to accuse American authorities of treating him unfairly by trying to extradite him to the US to face a child sex charge.Skip related content
RELATED PHOTOS / VIDEOSPolanski breaks silence over legal battl
The Rosemary’s Baby director has kept silent whille confined to his chalet in Switzerland since December following his September arrest in Zurich – more than 30 years after he fled America and skipped sentencing on a charge of unlawful sex with a minor.
Last month an appeals court ruled Polanski cannot be sentenced in absentia and must return to California to receive his punishment after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
In his first public statement in months, Polanski claims US officials are only extraditing him to offer him up “on a platter to the media of the world” after he fled the country for France in 1978.
In a letter to online French magazine La Regle du Jeu, Polanski writes, “I have decided to break my silence in order to address myself directly to you without any intermediaries and in my own words. I have had my share of dramas and joys, as we all have, and I am not going to try to ask you to pity my lot in life. I ask only to be treated fairly like anyone else.”
Outlining his case against extradition, he adds, “I can no longer remain silent because the United States continues to demand my extradition more to serve me on a platter to the media of the world than to pronounce a judgment concerning which an agreement was reached 33 years ago…
“I can remain silent no longer because I have been placed under house arrest in Gstaad and because I am far from my family and unable to work.”
Polanski last spoke out in December to thank fans for their letters of support.
© BRWC 2010.
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walt 3rd May 2010
I find the support for Polanski abhorrent. Just because the guy has undoubtedly made some great films it is bizarre to me that his past actions can be condoned. At the end of the day, he raped a 13 year old girl. You may call it unlawful under age sex, but it’s classed as rape in most countries because 13 years old is not considered by most reasonable people as old enough to know what’s best for yourself – hence the law existing to protect minors. Anyone who thinks Polanski is being harshly treated must have a screw loose. He committed a crime and he must pay the consequences. What is surprising is that the likes of Gary Glitter have been rightly vilified and had their careers destroyed by such actions, yet people seem to forgive Polanski his sins because he’s an excellent filmmaker. The fact that 33 years has passed has nothing to do with anything. If he served his time in the first place instead of fleeing the US, this would have been done and dusted by now. To now paint himself as the hard done by victim is both ridiculous and a little nauseating.
Anonymous 3rd May 2010
agreed. he should be hung.
Trevor Smith 6th May 2010
This has been a massive talking point for years… People do tend to ‘support’ or ‘forgive’ if they admire someone as an artist. When Polanski won best Director for The Pianist back in 2002, he recieved a standing ovation by all the celebrities and audience… If he was a nobody, everyone would want him shot but because he stands among the greatest Directors of all time, its a little different.
I do agree with the comments above and like Arnold Schwarzenegger said, his artistic talents have nothing to do with the crime committed. The only thing in his favour is the girl – now woman whom he had sex with has said she wants nothing to do with it. She has moved on and wants to forget the past. That in mind, if she isnt willing to testify then he isnt going to get any jail time anyway.
walt 9th May 2010
I found his reception at the Oscars very strange. I wonder whether those same celebrities would have been applauding if it was their daughter he buggered. I don’t rate him as one of the best directors of all time, but even if I did it shouldn’t excuse what he did. The woman may now no longer wish to press charges, but that won’t make any difference. She was 13 at the time and that’s all that counts. There was a brilliant documentary on BBC4 in the UK about this, and Polanski’s attitude at the time was simply that she consented so he didn’t do anything wrong. There was something inherent in his upbringing or his education (or lack of) that made him think that this was not a serious crime. I doubt very much that he has been rehabilitated and that his behaviour ended here – anyone with that type of attitude of denial can’t simply turn over a new leaf. The question is, would any of you leave him alone with your under age daughters?