What a surprise!

[dangermousie]

Remember the French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand? The one who was so outraged over Polanski's capture, and called US behavior in seeking Polanski's extradition callous and horrifying?

Well, in a very non-shocking but repulsive twist, it turns out Mitterand himself used to buy boy prostitutes in Thailand. See BBCLittle exerpt from the

Comments

[arathesane]

"All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire."

What a scumbag.

[dangermousie]

Just - sick.

[bennet_7]

How is this guy in politics?! It's horrifying.

[lydzi]

Well the all french government is rotten. Just the Clearstream affair makes every day front page and shame on the all country.
I love the fact that everyone here in France makes fun of Berlusconi... pfff... we're no better at all.

[dangermousie]

Ehhh, most governments suck (look at us and W), it's all a matter of degree and keeping them leashed.

[dangermousie]

Didn't they vet him beforehand?

[lesbiassparrow]

A senior aide to President Sarkozy, Henri Guaino, on Thursday backed the minister, saying the row was "excessive and quite undignified".

...

I guess that's one way of putting it. I myself would use very different terms and then throw the book at him. Isn't it now possible in many European countries to be convicted of sexual offenses committed overseas? (To be honest, I thought it was an EU thing, but I guess not.)

[dangermousie]

Or if not, Thailand can certainly go after him and he can be subject of extradition himself.

No wonder he thought Polanski's crime no big deal - hey, it was only once!

[cranberrysheep]

WAAHhH???? How is he not in jail?

[dangermousie]

He published this in his autobiography. And nobody bothered to investigate?

[dangermousie]

Just so beyond sick.