WARNING: Fugitive Child Molester being bailed!!!
by Moonwolf on Nov.25, 2009, under WTF?
Download this page in PDF format
Over 30 years ago, a 13 year old girl was plied with alcohol and drugs, then raped despite repeatedly saying “No”.
The perpetrator was caught, and pled guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, in exchange for leniency. When the judge reneged on the plea agreement, the child rapist fled the country to avoid answering for the crimes he freely admitted to, and remained a fugitive until captured in Switzerland.
At the end of the day, these are the only facts that matter in the case of confessed child molester Roman Polanski.
Unfortunately, a Swiss court has now decided to release this confessed child molester and fugitive from justice on bail pending extradition proceedings to bring him back to the US to finally face justice for his crimes, so long denied by his running.
So a guy with a track record of evading capture by moving across international boundaries as a high profile fugitive from justice is somehow expected to stay put if released on bail? It’s not like border controls between Switzerland and the rest of the continent are really all that good!
The facts of the case being stated above, let’s look at the excuses and rationalization that have been put forwards that aren’t relevant to the case for a moment.
Why We Should Feel Sorry For Roman
Yes, his pregnant wife was murdered at the hands of the Manson “Family”.
Yes, he’s supposedly a talented film director.
Yes, while a fugitive from justice he lived and traveled freely in Europe, including Switzerland.
Yes, a settlement agreement was reached with his victim.
Yes, his victim has asked the court to drop the case.
However …
The first two points, that his wife was murdered, and he’s a talented film director, do not excuse the fact he’s a confessed child molester who ran to avoid facing justice for raping a 13 year old girl.
Nothing excuses that.
The Whoopi Rationalization
Several people have stunned decent people in the world however by trying to cite reasons that, in their minds, it should be excused. Witness Whoopi Goldberg’s now-infamous comments on “The View”.
[youtube 9NX_D0Bv9M0 The View's Whoopi Goldberg on Polanski 'It Wasn't Rape Rape']
What’s even more disgusting is not one person on the panel or the audience called her on this.
How about Debra Tate, sister of Sharon Tate (the murdered pregnant wife)?
[iframe http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/33086200#33086200|193767|381479 425 339]
What the frak is “rape-rape” anyways? There are degrees of rape now? Maybe they were simply trying to place some (or all) of the blame on the victim (or worse, implying the victim lied?).
The presumption is that this idea of it not being “rape-rape” is somehow connected to the idea behind statutory rape – that the charge is based on age rather than consent. That certainly seems to be what Debra Tate is angling towards in her interview.
But both of these clips ignore the information on the record, that the victim did not give consent, and gave evidence under oath to that effect. In effect, this idea that a) this was only statutory rape, not “non-consentual” rape, and b) that the victim lied, is trying to place the blame for a man plying a 13 year old girl with alcohol and drugs then repeatedly having sex with her on the victim.
Debra Tate is supposed to be a victim’s advocate, I would have thought she’d come across multiple times where the defence ploy has been to blame the victim – but she seems to be doing exactly the same thing here when it comes to her ex-brother in-law’s confessed crimes.
I’d want her as a victim’s advocate for me … if I were a child abuser.
Hollywood and Europe
Worse is the petition by actors, directors, and others in support of this confessed child molester and fugitive from justice, demanding he be released to continue being a fugitive! Has the casting couch become so ingrained in show business that these supporters of a child molester will battle to sustain his flight from justice?
And yes, I consider these people to be supporters of a child molester. Not once have any of them unequivocally or unconditionally condemned the crimes Polanski confessed to. Not one of them. As far as they’re concerned, it seems, he is the victim in all of this!
In many ways, the impression I get from how Harvey Weinstein et al have jumped on the bandwagon to defend this confessed child molester is that fame in Hollywood, and in European “artsy” circles, bestows the same mystique on Roman Polanski as Chairman Mao had – little girls should feel honored to be invited to his bed.
It’s hard not to think that, to the elite in Hollywood and Europe, child molestation isn’t actually molestation – or, to re-use Whoopi’s thoughts, isn’t “rape-rape”.
Celebrity Hath Its Privileges
Let’s be honest here. If it was anyone other than Roman Polanski, say for example some black guy from the Bronx, he’d have been locked away and people like Harvey Weinstein, Whoopi Goldberg, and even Debra Tate, would be toasting the reception the guy would be facing in prison from Ordinary Decent Criminals.
But this is one of their own, this is “the Great Roman Polanski”, this is the “poor Roman Polanski whose wife was murdered by the Mansons”, this is Hollywood’s Gordon Kahl and Hollywood is bringing everything it can to bear to get Polanski “vindicated”.
Which brings me to the most abhorrent and disgusting thing that has happened in all of this.
Victim? What Victim?
Polanski’s victim, remember her?
Whilst a settlement agreement was reached in the matter years ago, there are questions if it was ever paid.
But that’s not all. The victim in all of this, the real one, is now a grown up woman, with a husband and children of her own, and has asked that the case be dropped.
Not because it never happened.
Not because she forgives him.
But because the continued publication of details “causes harm to me, my husband and children”.
Yeah, I suppose having Harvey Weinstein lobbying for the release of your rapist, and people like Whoopi Goldberg and Debra Tate implying that there was no real rape, minimizing the ordeal and making you feel like a liar, might be something you get tired of in the end and just want to get on with your life.
The disgusting part is, from my seat, comments like those discussed here are akin to the victim being raped all over again, by the media, by Hollywood, by society.
But Whoopi et al can rest easy – after all, it really wouldn’t be “rape-rape”.
Run, Roman, Run!
The rape aside, Roman Polanski does need to be brought back to the US in shackles at the earliest possible moment for a completely separate issue.
For 31 years, he’s been a fugitive from justice. He’s consciously avoided going to the US or the UK as a result.
According to authorities, they were going to try to apprehend this fugitive at least twice in the past, but were unable to because (they believe) he found out their intentions and avoided being arrested.
He ran from justice, abroad. He’s been on the run ever since. Every single day he’s been on the run, he has been breaking the law.
No matter what his reasons were, he didn’t have the right to use his money, and his influence, to escape justice. the proper place to address issues with the legal system is here, not some villa in Switzerland.
Even with the original trial judge now being dead, he refused to return to the US to petition the Court to throw the case out. He had no reason to believe the judge hearing his petition would likewise go back on the plea agreement – but he remained a fugitive.
His lawyers, and the supporters of this child molester within show business and Hollywood, want to gain vindication for his running from justice and remaining a fugitive for 31 years by having that fugitive status itself thrown out, his extradition refused.
In effect, they want the whole thing thrown out. The victim wants to move on, witnesses are scarce, 31 years is a long time.
So the end result of throwing the case out means Polanski will likely get away with giving a 13 year old child drugs and alcohol, raping her repeatedly, absconding from the country and remaining a fugitive for 31 years.
Absconding is another crime he committed that he has admitted to. He’s said he had no choice, because the judge in the case went back on the plea agreement. That might be, but it’s still an admission of absconding.
Whatever his reasons for running, he ran, and the world knows it.
What Now?
He must face justice for his crimes. If money and celebrity are shields against justice, then there’s no justice.
No-one gets to rape a child with impunity. No-one gets to run from justice with impunity.
Polanski wants both.
If not – does anyone really believe he won’t go on the lam again?
I wonder if that will mean he’s not a “fugitive-fugitive”?
We’ll just have to wait for the inevitable rehabilitation movie.
Bootnote: It seems Polanski will have to spend another weekend in prison, instead of at his luxury chalet in the Swiss Alps, until he “meets the security conditions of his bail“. Ahh diddums.
