Polanski

[threeplusfire]

The Polanski story enrages me. If Polanski had murdered someone, run down a kid in a drunk driving incident, stolen millions of dollars from a bunch of investors, burned down a church - would anyone be asking if this extradition was necessary? Yes, It's been decades. Yes, Polanski has made some incredible art and is famous. That doesn't change the fact that he drugged and raped a child, and skipped the country to avoid serving his sentence. That's pretty damned reprehensible. Thinking he should get a pass because he's managed to elude being extradited is even more shitty.

Comments

[lacyunderall.livejournal.com]

ha! i was just telling someone today that i'd like to personally drag his ass back here and set him on fire. first, for the horrible offense, and secondly, for running like a pussy all these years.

fire = the biblical cleanser

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

I suspect at least some of the people arguing he shouldn't be punished because he's A Great Artist and thus Above The Common Herd, mistakenly perceive themselves to be such exalted creatures as well.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

So if more people loved Gacy's clown paintings, would we let him off the hook? Gack.

Clearly he must have been up to Great Art when he decided to put his penis everywhere.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

"So if more people loved Gacy's clown paintings, would we let him off the hook?"

Or speculating as to which of his victims were virgins and which weren't?

"Clearly he must have been up to Great Art when he decided to put his penis everywhere."

I have a distinct childhood memory of seeing him interviewed on the Today show, I think some time after The Incident, literally giggling as he confided to Jane Pauley or whoever it was, "I just, you know, I just really like zee young girls." I was only eight or nine at the time but I was well creeped out even not knowing then just what pedophilia exactly was.

[litos.livejournal.com]

Someone should bash him.

Why no one has done such to this point eludes me.

The rat fuckers paraded a child rapist around like he was someone worthy of applause.

Yes, he is insightful and creative. He also rapes children.

Your moral choices are to bash him or jail him.

[splix.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[k00kaburra.livejournal.com]

I was so happy when I heard the bastard was finally caught.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

As I commented elsewhere , the only one I can think of is that some countries will refuse extradition if the country the prisoner is being send back to will face the death penalty. That's at least reasonable from a humanitarian position ( not that I agree, but still it makes more sense ). Protecting this guy is just a joke. I can't think of a single reason to protect him or give him any shelter from the justice he deserves.

[grumpydragon.livejournal.com]

How much is it going to cost for all of this?

Obviously he is guilty and should be punished, but when the victim doesn't even want it to happen anymore, and there has been judicial misconduct in the original trial, it seems that there is a point where you say 'this is enough'.

I do not have sympathy for him because he did something terrible, but I also don't want to pay for him to be brought back to America, tried, imprisoned, if the person who is the victim says 'enough is enough'.

[zombiechu.livejournal.com]

I agree, he has been in and out of Switzerland for years, why now? I'm wondering if he did something else recently that will come out if he's extradited. But, even that doesn't make sense, because it would've had to have been in another country. Maybe more U.S. victims have spoken up? Puzzling.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

In December last year, he tried to have the case and his guilty plea dismissed. I think that move probably caused some serious anger. The New York Times article I read said the justic department put out a red flag to Interpol several years ago requesting assistance, and apparently they have nearly arrested him a couple times. (Prevented by other countries dragging their feet.)

[zombiechu.livejournal.com]

Seems a lot of people are speculating it had something to do with the documentary that came out last year too.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1706557,00.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/did-polanski-documentary-spur-polanskis-swiss-arrest.html

[grumpydragon.livejournal.com]

I think that the whole problem is the judge in the original trial throwing out the plea bargain for political reasons. That is what caused this all in the first place.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

But there are legal options to appeal - if Polanski hadn't run away then this would be over and done. If he had appealed, there could have been ethics sanctions for the ex parte communication perhaps, and another judge appointed to handle the sentence. So he's really created this entire horrible circus.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

There's a world of difference between personal forgiveness and legal consequence. The victim doesn't decide the punishment in our legal system.

Maybe Polanski should foot the bill for his flight back. He did create this entire problem.

I don't think we should fail to prosecute crimes because of finances.