We’ve waited a long time for this. Finally Polanski is in custody.
In 1977, director Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. He made a sweetheart plea bargain, pleading guilty to only statutory rape. Then he pussied-out of doing even the short jail term he would have gotten for that, choosing instead to flee the country.
He showed no remorse for his crimes. A year later he even seemed angry that people wanted him punished, telling an interviewer, "I've been tortured by this for a year and that's enough."
There were some in the film industry, too, who seemed to view raping a child as a minor crime easily forgiven. They handed Polanski an Oscar for best director on the same night they booed Michael Moore off the stage. (Rape is one thing, but suggesting President Bush would lie us into a war is unacceptable.)
Polanski’s victim waited 32 years for justice – most of her lifetime – while Polanski lived in luxury abroad. Now, at long last, justice may finally be served.
Polanski this morning went to Switzerland to receive yet another film honor. Authorities seized him at the airport and hope to bring him to the US for sentencing. I can only hope the Swiss and US officials deciding his fate will not trivialize crimes against children as much as some in Hollywood have.
Details:
http://www.nytimes.com/...
(Cross posted at My Left Wing)