Polanski Not to be Extradited to US, Free man.

[talloola]

Apparently the victim wants to do just that - but what the victim wants is irrelevant, unfortunately. It's what needs to be done. The man trolled, he groomed, he drugged a 13 year old girl and had sex with her. It's illegal, it's a crime. There is no ambiguity - it doesn't matter if Polanski 'thought' she consented (then why the drugs?)It's illegal. the Swiss government does what it has always done. It sold out in the Second World War2, under the blanket of 'neutrality' and it sold out now - and just what was their 30 pieces of silver?

The man raped a child. He used alcohol, he used coercion, he stalked her, he used drugs, he didn't listen to her when she said no. She went along with it in the end because she had no power and if she did she could go home. She might have been a typical curious 13 year old - but she was a child - and if you read the transcript you get the feel of just how young she was - and then there was the sheer legality of it - SHE WAS 13!
- whether she was 'willing' or not is irrelevant. Legally she was a minor.- I have issues with a country that gives freedom to a person like that. I'm disgusted.Switzerland disgusts me.

it is disgusting, I agree with you. I have four daughters, and if one of them was 'that' victim, and this
decision came down today, I would take care of him myself, but actually I would have taken care of him years ago,
very discreetly, very privately, and very quickly with the help of others, and no one would have ever known,
except me'n my friends, justice would have been served.

 

[Downhome_Woman]

I would imagine this case is similar to thousands of unresolved cases across the country, the only difference being that Mr. Polanski is a prominent figure. As far as public interest goes, however this case is no different from the other thousands where sometimes the victim just has to "suck it up", as a famous person said life isn't always fair.

And then lets just tell every girl, child and women ( hell - why not include every male in that as well), that they should just suck it up if they find themselves being raped by someone in a better economic/social circumstance than they are. Yeah, let's just tell our loved ones that if it happens to just lie back and take it.
No. I don't believe that. and with the way the media is these days? I think people would be bombarding the Swiss Embassies, their media - the lot. As far as I see them, they look just like the new Thailand - a place where you can go on vacation if you like your companions young. Like I said, Switzerland disgusts me.

it is disgusting, I agree with you. I have four daughters, and if one of them was 'that' victim, and this
decision came down today, I would take care of him myself, but actually I would have taken care of him years ago,
very discreetly, very privately, and very quickly with the help of others, and no one would have ever known,
except me'n my friends, justice would have been served.

Sorry - but justice needs to be seen - not just done. People need to see that the law works. I believe in rehabilitation because it benefits the community as well as the criminal. I also believe in justice (trial, time served) - for the same reason. 'Justice' applied in the dark isn't justice, it's just revenge.

it is disgusting, I agree with you. I have four daughters, and if one of them was 'that' victim, and this
decision came down today, I would take care of him myself, but actually I would have taken care of him years ago,
very discreetly, very privately, and very quickly with the help of others, and no one would have ever known,
except me'n my friends, justice would have been served.

And trust me, I know myself and I can see a big part of myself that would want to 'take care' of someone like Polanski - which is why I'm anti-death penalty. I don't want someone's death to happen because of my need for revenge - especially since there have been so many on death row or serving life terms that have been found to be innocent.

 

[JLM]

And then lets just tell every girl, child and women ( hell - why not include every male in that as well), that they should just suck it up if they find themselves being raped by someone in a better economic/social circumstance than they are. Yeah, let's just tell our loved ones that if it happens to just lie back and take it.
No. I don't believe that. and with the way the media is these days? I think people would be bombarding the Swiss Embassies, their media - the lot. As far as I see them, they look just like the new Thailand - a place where you can go on vacation if you like your companions young. Like I said, Switzerland disgusts me.


Sorry - but justice needs to be seen - not just done. People need to see that the law works. I believe in rehabilitation because it benefits the community as well as the criminal. I also believe in justice (trial, time served) - for the same reason. 'Justice' applied in the dark isn't justice, it's just revenge.

I guess you completely missed my message. What Polanski did was dispicable and justice wasn't done, but "justice delayed is justice denied". All I am saying is in life sometimes you have to take the route of least harm. If an incident is still "eating" at you 35 years later, I suggest the "eating" is doing more harm than the original incident. That's all. The crime just wasn't against the girl but against society at large. Just because the courts aren't able to resolve this doesn't mean it won't get resolved in an alternate fashion.

[QUOTE I don't want someone's death to happen because of my need for revenge - especially since there have been so many on death row or serving life terms that have been found to be innocent.[/QUOTE]

One interesting stat I did hear (don't know how true it is, although I guess it is being a statistic) is 12% of those in Federal prisons are innocent.

" As far as I see them, they look just like the new Thailand - a place where you can go on vacation if you like your companions young. Like I said, Switzerland disgusts me."

I hear you D.H.W. and by the same token it disgusts me when a Canadian commits a heinous crime in a foreign country and our weak spined Gov't brings them back here to avoid serving the sentence imposed where they did the crime. THAT is even more disgusting than this Polanski thing. Actually Polanski is serving a "sentence" - every time someone acknowledges recognizing him, he's wondering when the other shoe will drop. His neck must feel like it's on a swivel.

 

[Downhome_Woman]

I guess you completely missed my message. What Polanski did was dispicable and justice wasn't done, but "justice delayed is justice denied". All I am saying is in life sometimes you have to take the route of least harm. If an incident is still "eating" at you 35 years later, I suggest the "eating" is doing more harm than the original incident. That's all. The crime just wasn't against the girl but against society at large. Just because the courts aren't able to resolve this doesn't mean it won't get resolved in an alternate fashion.

[QUOTE I don't want someone's death to happen because of my need for revenge - especially since there have been so many on death row or serving life terms that have been found to be innocent.

One interesting stat I did hear (don't know how true it is, although I guess it is being a statistic) is 12% of those in Federal prisons are innocent.

" As far as I see them, they look just like the new Thailand - a place where you can go on vacation if you like your companions young. Like I said, Switzerland disgusts me."

I hear you D.H.W. and by the same token it disgusts me when a Canadian commits a heinous crime in a foreign country and our weak spined Gov't brings them back here to avoid serving the sentence imposed where they did the crime. THAT is even more disgusting than this Polanski thing. Actually Polanski is serving a "sentence" - every time someone acknowledges recognizing him, he's wondering when the other shoe will drop. His neck must feel like it's on a swivel.[/QUOTE]
Nope - didn't miss your message. Just needed to vent.

 

[JLM]

That is allowed.

 

[talloola]

And then lets just tell every girl, child and women ( hell - why not include every male in that as well), that they should just suck it up if they find themselves being raped by someone in a better economic/social circumstance than they are. Yeah, let's just tell our loved ones that if it happens to just lie back and take it.
No. I don't believe that. and with the way the media is these days? I think people would be bombarding the Swiss Embassies, their media - the lot. As far as I see them, they look just like the new Thailand - a place where you can go on vacation if you like your companions young. Like I said, Switzerland disgusts me.


Sorry - but justice needs to be seen - not just done. People need to see that the law works. I believe in rehabilitation because it benefits the community as well as the criminal. I also believe in justice (trial, time served) - for the same reason. 'Justice' applied in the dark isn't justice, it's just revenge.


And trust me, I know myself and I can see a big part of myself that would want to 'take care' of someone like Polanski - which is why I'm anti-death penalty. I don't want someone's death to happen because of my need for revenge - especially since there have been so many on death row or serving life terms that have been found to be innocent.

we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, I don't see it that way, no justice was done today was it, no
one saw the law take care of it, no one saw the victim have her day in court, no one saw fairness, nope,
it would not be revenge, it would be justice, not planned, just a crime of passion, no different than any
crime of passion eg. husband shooting the wife/boyfriends when they were caught in the act.
I don't care if anyone knows, this would have been my family, and I'm not interested in headlines, when the
law/courts will not find the justice they need to find, I can do that for them.

 

[TenPenny]

Do a bit of reading.
Come on Ten Penny. Tell us how BP's continuing spill is not going to hurt us. Tell us how the spill is going to be good marine life and how it is going to help the fisheries. Polanski will be gone in a couple years. BP's oil disaster will be with us for decades.

Are you completely insane?

You have decided that I believe that the BP spill won't hurt anything? Based on what do you come to that conclusion?

You do not have the ability to think of two separate, unrelated matters (Polanski and the BP gusher), so you assume that all things in the world are tied into a one-vs-the other system?

Can you show me where I said that because Polanski should face justice, the BP spill won't hurt the environment?

The two things are completely unrelated. They must have overloaded your brain.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

So he's an 'old man' - big deal.All that means is that he's an old man who eluded justice and managed to live a good life in Europe.

whether or not the victim wishes to prosecute is of no matter either. Justice isn't resting on whether he is 'to old', he's paid his due (right - in France - making movies), it happened so long ago - these don't matter. He broke the law - he needs to pay the price, and even more - the world - and all those who have been abused and have not seen justice done.
Tell me SJP - what if your boy had come home and told you that the same thing had happened to him. Oh I know - he's a wonder of humanity and has always made the 'right decisions'. But just what if - this time he made an aquaintance who ending up 'grooming him - and ended up raping your precious 13 year old boy? what if the law decided to let it slide? If the perpetrator resurfaced lets say, 30 years later, would you be so blase? I'm a mother of two young women - I wouldn't be. By your 'it's been a generation since the event let's move on' sentiment I'm thinking that you must believe that all those pedofile priests should be left alone because - well, they're old and it's been a while'.

There is a difference between this case and pedophile priests, DHW. In the case of priests, the victims very much wanted to press charges, they very much wanted the priests and the church to pay for their crimes.

And how I would have felt about a hypothetical situation is not really relevant here. The important point is that the victim does not want to bring it up again.

So I would answer your hypothetical situation like this. Suppose the pedophile is caught and charged after 33 years. Now my son is 46 years old, he is a family man. He decides to forgive and forget. I would support him.

I would imagine this case is similar to thousands of unresolved cases across the country, the only difference being that Mr. Polanski is a prominent figure. As far as public interest goes, however this case is no different from the other thousands where sometimes the victim just has to "suck it up", as a famous person said life isn't always fair.

This case is apparently different from other cases in one important way. Pedophiles are usually repeat offenders; they will abuse more than one child. In this case, there is no evidence that Polanski is a repeat offender; at least nobody else has come forward.

 

[TenPenny]

Why are we worried about pedophile priests?

There are more important things in the world today than a few old men who played around with boys many years ago. Didn't you hear about the oil leak in the Gulf? Stop worrying about the silly things like pedophiles, and focus on the important stuff. I think we should drop all investigations into any criminal activity for the foreseeable future.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Why are we worried about pedophile priests?

There are more important things in the world today than a few old men who played around with boys many years ago. Didn't you hear about the oil leak in the Gulf? Stop worrying about the silly things like pedophiles, and focus on the important stuff. I think we should drop all investigations into any criminal activity for the foreseeable future.

I know you are being sarcastic, but I think in decades old cases, the wishes of the victim should be taken into account. If the victim is still underage when the pedophile is convicted and sentenced, then the victim forgiving the offender does not mean anything.

However, when the case is decades old, when the victim by now is a middle aged man (or woman), the victim in a position to make a rational, reasonable decision. If the victim decides to forgive and forget, I think it should count for a lot.

 

[TenPenny]

I know you are being sarcastic, but I think in decades old cases, the wishes of the victim should be taken into account. If the victim is still underage when the pedophile is convicted and sentenced, then the victim forgiving the offender does not mean anything.

However, when the case is decades old, when the victim by now is a middle aged man (or woman), the victim in a position to make a rational, reasonable decision. If the victim decides to forgive and forget, I think it should count for a lot.

What you are saying is that pedophilia isn't such a bad thing.

Bah, don't worry about it, you'll get over it. Relax, have another drink, take a couple more pills, wait thirty years, everything will be just fine. Trust me.

I think it's a sad commentary on society when people try to make this out to be nothing serious. Michael Jackson paid off the parents of his accusers, it's all the same thing.

Parts of our society have decided that certain people (celebrities) don't have to face up to the consequences of their actions. It certainly teaches a lesson to others.

 

[Downhome_Woman]

I know you are being sarcastic, but I think in decades old cases, the wishes of the victim should be taken into account. If the victim is still underage when the pedophile is convicted and sentenced, then the victim forgiving the offender does not mean anything.

However, when the case is decades old, when the victim by now is a middle aged man (or woman), the victim in a position to make a rational, reasonable decision. If the victim decides to forgive and forget, I think it should count for a lot.

He had and affair with Natassja Kinski when she was 15 - he has a strong attraction to very young women. And even if he hasn't been caught - and I stress 'caught' doing the same to another girl IT WAS A CRIME - What about that do you not seem to get?
He drugged, raped, and sodomized an a 13-year-old girl. There’s a reason that the statute of limitations doesn’t run out on rape. It’s a vile, horrific crime, and for people to suggest that he’s already been served his punishment because he has been living in 'exile from the USA is absolutely ludicrous. He’s enjoyed his life for three decades; he’s continued to pursue his career as a filmmaker - what hardship.
The victim in this case — who is 45 now, and a parent — wants to dismiss the charges and says that she forgives him - but she also said that Geimer says that "the continuing publicity is a just another kind of rape, and that all she wants is for the saga to end".
but guess what. what she wants in the end is not important. What is important is that he raped a child, he left the country to evade sentencing - he's a criminal, and if spends the rest of his life in jail then sobeit.
While the wishes of the victim can be taken into account during sentencing, they have no bearing on whether he should be sentenced or not - and so it should be.

 

[ironsides]

Plain and simple, he got away with raping a minor child. So much for modern progressive law. And some wonder why people take matters into their own hands.

 

[Downhome_Woman]

There is a difference between this case and pedophile priests, DHW. In the case of priests, the victims very much wanted to press charges, they very much wanted the priests and the church to pay for their crimes.

And how I would have felt about a hypothetical situation is not really relevant here. The important point is that the victim does not want to bring it up again.

So I would answer your hypothetical situation like this. Suppose the pedophile is caught and charged after 33 years. Now my son is 46 years old, he is a family man. He decides to forgive and forget. I would support him.

This case is apparently different from other cases in one important way. Pedophiles are usually repeat offenders; they will abuse more than one child. In this case, there is no evidence that Polanski is a repeat offender; at least nobody else has come forward.

so if I read yor finally paragraph (This case is apparently different from other cases in one important way. Pedophiles are usually repeat offenders; they will abuse more than one child. In this case, there is no evidence that Polanski is a repeat offender; at least nobody else has come forward.) correctly, just because you feel it was a 'one of' in that no one else has actually come forward, Polanski is not a real 'pedophile'. Wow. I'm underwhelmed. So for you, it's all about the numbers. The fact that he stalked and he groomed the girl and then he RAPED her - anally, orally and vaginally - he RAPED a 13 year old girl. But hey - he appears to have done it only once, so it's no big deal, right?
And pray tell (or should I say prey tell, as I do believe he's a predator and considers young girls to be creatures who should be stalked and conquered)why would any other victims come forward? It was unusual until fairly recently for women to report rape and let's face it, reporting rape when the rapist is rich and famous and untouchable? I suspect that most just give up before they even try.

 

[petros]

I've read screwed up **** in threads but I can't believe what I'm reading today. Holy ****.

 

[Downhome_Woman]

I've read screwed up **** in threads but I can't believe what I'm reading today. Holy ****.

I actually find those that sympathize with Polanski to be screwed up. Excusing someone who drugged and raped a 13 year old because 'it happened a long time ago', and gee - 'he's 'so talented' and he's an old man', and 'he's had a tragic life', is really screwed up.
It was a crime, plain and simple, he preyed on the kid, he drugged and raped her and then he evaded justice for 3 decades and lived a great life in Europe, and way too many people don't seem to have a problem with that. That's what's screwed up.

 

[petros]

I actually find those that sympathize with Polanski to be screwed up. Excusing someone who drugged and raped a 13 year old because 'it happened a long time ago', and gee - 'he's 'so talented' and he's an old man', and 'he's had a tragic life', is really screwed up.
It was a crime, plain and simple, he preyed on the kid, he drugged and raped her and then he evaded justice for 3 decades and lived a great life in Europe, and way too many people don't seem to have a problem with that. That's what's screwed up.

If I were the father of that little girl, there would be no Polanski to extradite.

If someone ever laid a finger on my daughter I'd have no problems removing that person from the world of the living.

 

[Praxius]

I find myself in agreement with juan (and in disagreement with most posters here). I am not trying to excuse what he did, and it indeed was a great miscarriage of justice that he did not serve prison time. There are never any extenuating circumstances when it comes to child abuse.

At the same time he is an old man now, this was 33 years ago. The victim has moved on and she doesn’t want to revisit the whole sordid affair yet again.

She doesn't have to revisit the whole sordid affair again because it's no longer about her.... justice listened to her, they heard all the evidence of the case and in the end, found him guilty..... she doesn't have to do anything anymore.... but he fled justice to continue living in comfort, fame and luxury as if nothing ever happened.... for 33 years and has yet to spend one single day in jail for the crimes he committed...... I don't care if he's an old man about to die or reversed his aging process to bring him back to 20 years old..... he is not above the law anymore then you or I and he should be dragged by his wig and go directly to jail.... Do not pass Go..... Do not collect $200.

And let him rot in there for all the years he was supposed to +10 for escape and being a fugitive for 33 years.... no chance of parole because he already got his chance to live the good life and live in happiness for 33 years and did so by directly avoiding his punishment...... any other regular street thug would be facing worse if they pulled the stunt he did and everybody would be seeking blood.

Also, I assume he has led exemplary life since then (there haven’t been any further allegations against him in any of the European countries he has visited). It is time to temper justice with mercy and forget about the whole thing.

I disagree and hold no sympathy for this idiot scum.

I don’t think charges against him should be dismissed; he should carry the stigma of child abuser the rest of his life. But considering that it happened more than a generation ago (and the victim does not want to proceed further), I think it is time to move on.

The victim's wishes are no longer relevant.... this is a matter between the courts/justice and him, the criminal.

Incidentally, why was he allowed to skip the country in 1977? I would think it would be standard procedure to confiscate the passport of a convicted criminal.

And yet you'd think someone who was registered on a state-of-the-art No-Fly List wouldn't be able to board a plane with bombs strapped to his wang and attempt to blow it up..... yet he did..... I highly doubt the security measures of 1977 were any better.

 

[JLM]

If I were the father of that little girl, there would be no Polanski to extradite.

If someone ever laid a finger on my daughter I'd have no problems removing that person from the world of the living.

Absolutely, the fact that he hasn't been dealt with judicially in 33 years doesn't mean he's off the hook. Just takes one guy who feels as you do who spots him sitting on a log at river's edge, not paying attention............................:lol::lol::lol::lol: and goodbye Mr. Polanski.

 

[petros]

Absolutely, the fact that he hasn't been dealt with judicially in 33 years doesn't mean he's off the hook. Just takes one guy who feels as you do who spots him sitting on a log at river's edge, not paying attention............................:lol::lol::lol::lol: and goodbye Mr. Polanski.

With 2200 kids disappearing daily in the US and Canada, I could have a full time job pushing guys like Polanski into rivers and I'd enjoy every minute of it.