Roman Polanski civil suit scheduled for 2025

[silverstarry]

A woman who alleges Roman Polanski raped her in 1973 when she was 16 years old filed a civil suit under a California law that extends the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. She originally filed her lawsuit in May 2023 but his lawyers filed to have her lawsuit tossed in November 2023. Last week, Judge H. Jay Ford III set a trial date of

Comments

[insomniachobs]

Sickeningly predictable - excusing him because of what happened to Sharon was always bollocks, grief doesn't suddenly make you drug and rape a minor just the one time. These men never have just the one victim.

I completely understand Samantha's wish that this just be over at this point, that she's sick of it constantly being re-raised. But the second Polanski absconded the case became about far more than how she personally processes what was done to her and I just don't think it's in the interests of justice to do as she asks. He committed a huge second crime, specifically in order to dodge punishment for the first, and giving in to get it over with (even as a mercy to her) would massively reward his criminal wrongdoing. It would give the rich rapist what he's always wanted, to have been able to use his money to dodge accountability. But they need to get the hell on with getting him back to the US so they can finish it.

But of course all that's easy for me to say when I'm not the one bearing a personal cost of the continued attention, so I'm never going to fault her for feeling that way.

[silverstarry]

I agree. I hate that she is still dealing with this, but the black and white of it is that he committed a crime, he took a plea deal, and then he left before being sentenced. He shouldn't be able to wiggle his way out of being sentenced for a crime that he FULLY ADMITTED to doing based on the fact that it's been horrible for her to deal with. Dismissing the case or letting his 42 days serve as his sentence sends the message that if you flee the country for 40 years, you can just get the slate wiped clean.

There was another quote from Samantha where she said something to the effect of his 40 years as a fugitive have been punishment enough and I was like oh, so living in France, getting married again (to a woman 33 years younger), having a family, and continuing to make movies qualifies as punishment? And that's exactly the point - if they dismiss the case at this point, then it's like telling everyone that if you're rich and have the means to move to a country that won't extradite you, then your "punishment" will be continuing to live your life like nothing ever happened.