According to the french newpaper Le Figaro , Frederic Mitterand, the French minister of Culture, and Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign minister, are both making pressure on Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, to ask Obama to drop charges against Polanski and have him release. Bernard Kouchner sent, along with the Polish foreign minister, a letter to Hillary Clinton pressuring her to drop charges against the celebrity. Do they know the meaning of independence of the justice ?
Maybe someone should tell them that while commander-in-chief, Obama isn't in charge of the Justice Dept. That's Eric Holder's job. According to french medias, many pressures have been made on Nicolas Sarkozy to call Barack Obama asking him to drop charges. Do they really believe that the father of two daughter 8 and 11 years old would let a man ,who recognized having sex with an underage girl and had shown any remorse, go free ? Maybe I'm wrong, I don't see the POTUS asking Holder to drop charges against Roman Polanski, a notorious sex offender.
Frederic Mitterand, who happens also to be the nephew of the Past French President Francois Mitterand, called this story a "non-sense". I believe that for Mr Mitterand, the rape of a 13 years old girl by a 43 years old man is "non-sense". He went even far to blast the United State and its justice systeme. Remember that Mr Mitterand is a close friend to Roman Polanski. I can understand that he wants to defend his friend, but he should be reminded that as a minister he has some responsability and can open his mouth whenever he wants to.
A coalition of European Artists sign petition demanding the release of Roman Polanski (in French) . Among them Costa-Gavras, Wong Kar-Wai, Fanny Ardant(a french actress) or Monica Bellucci. If there is a petition in the other way, I will be glad to sign it. My mind is already sent, I will boycott every artist who will show his/her support for Roman Polanski.
Yes the victim says that she wants to move on and want all the charges drop. But like Joy Behar said on The View today "Forgiveness doesn't mean permission". What Polanski did was wrong and he needs to be put to justice. I don't care how old he's or how many tragedies he went through. Yes he is a holocaust survivor so is Elie Wiesel, but Elie Wiesel never raped a 13 years old girl or tried to defend it. The fact that you suffered doesn't make excusable that kind of crime.
If as his defenders state the past judge had some misconduct, why flee the coutry ? Couldn't Polanski ask the judge to be discharge or ask for a new trial ? It was the United States not China or Libya or Somalia.
Today on Morning Joe, Both Mika and Mike Barnicle, along with Tina Brown, were unwatchable trying to dismiss Polanski's crime. Only Pat Buchanan made sense on this topic. I almost missed for the 1st time Joe Scarborough's input. I wonder if Mika would be so forgiving if Polanski had raped her 13 years old girl and fled the country ?
For those who try to defend Polanski, would you let your 13 years old daughter alone with Polanski now, at this moment, even after he recognized that he drugged and raped a 13 years old girl and had shown zero remorse or regret ?
As for the French request, I hope the US authorities don't give up and bring Polanski back to the US to face justice once and for all.