The People vs Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski is arguably the greatest film director alive. He has cult status in the global cultural domain, of which the US and Switzerland are only a peripheral part of.

Mr Polanski, 76 years old, has committed a rather despicable and repulsive crime: incapacitating a 13-year old girl for the purpose of sexual intercourse. Despite pleading to be left alone, the child was subjected to a persistent sexual attack, including anal sex. It's well documented what happened next. In 1978 Polanski pleaded guilty but absconded before sentencing.

For 30 years the Los Angeles prosecutors, known for their open sympathy for fascist and neo-nazi groups and literature according to an insider there, relentlessy persued the Jewish fugitive from justice. With a refined ruse they finally succeeded to enforce an arrest warrant in Switzerland, where Mr Polanski travelled to receive a lifetime achievement award.

It's a shame that in the 30 years that have elapsed the Los Angeles authorities have been incapable to resolve the matter. Mr Polanski has offered to settle things, and his victim, now a 44 year old married woman with 3 children, has been handsomely paid off by the movie director. Even she says today that she finds the incessant obsession of L.A. prosecutors outrageous and wants the case terminated.

Mr Polanski has proved that he is not the typical sex offender and can look back on a stellar career. Being Jewish, and the blame he levelled against the Los Angeles police for intentionally not preventing the slaughtering of his pregnant wife in Hollywood in 1969, appear to be behind the relentless persecution by the hands of the L.A. nazi thugs. For there is no intention to serve justice visible in this vendetta against Mr Polanski.

On the other hand I would also caution the French government, which so quickly speaks of scandal and farce by enforcing the arrest warrant. The crime that Polanski committed was horrendous, and to let him too easily off the hook would send a rather perverted message to future child abusers: write books and direct movies after your crime, and you get the "Stay Out of Jail" card. Fans of Mr Polanski, and I am one of them, should feel let down, and not allow fanship obscure and diminish the perception of true justice protecting the most vulnerable: children.