The Roman Polanski Fiasco

I am fuming. What is wrong with this picture? A man gives champagne to a 13 year old girl. That is against the law, I believe. A man then gives the 13 year old girl some Quaalude. I think that is also against the law. Now, this man sodomizes this 13 year old girl and he does get arrested. He is charged and pleaded guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor. There is then some kind of judicial misconduct, which to me is unimportant, and on the eve of his sentencing, the man is nowhere to be found. The 13 year old girl did win a civil suit and received an undisclosed amount of money and she can’t say anything about it. He lives in France, openly, since 1977. Since then he has made many movies to much critical acclaim. France never thought of sending him back because he was a wanted criminal. This is the story of a talented director, Roman Polanski. And that is the way it would have stayed except that Switzerland decided to allow the United States to extradite him.

So now, what is the reaction to this? Many Hollywood dignitaries have signed a petition saying that he has suffered enough. The 13 year old girl is now happily married and doesn’t want to testify against him, saying that all should be dropped. I have even heard some say that the girl wasn’t really raped. This seasoned feminist is outraged! First, let’s talk about class. If some poor Mexican man had done this and had ran away to México only to be found and brought back, would he not be charged not only with the rape but also with running away before being sentenced? Any average person would be charged but if you are an artist or you are a sport’s celebrity or a rich person, the law treats you differently. We live in a classist society which is like India only we hide it.

Now let’s talk about sexism. I had hoped that we had stopped looking at rape as the victim’s problem. I thought that we had realized, without a doubt, that a 13 year old does not have the ability to consent. How can anyone say it wasn’t rape? He even admitted to statutory rape and it was. I understand why the woman doesn’t want to bring all this up again. She has a life and she doesn’t want to be dragged through the mud which our sexist society would do. I don’t understand all these people who think he “suffered enough” because his mother was killed in the holocaust, because he got to make millions and get all kinds of accolades while “exiled” in France, because his wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered and many other aspects of his life. What does any of that to do with his raping a 13 year old girl or with his running away before sentencing? Nothing. Every time I hear these excuses I rage. Being a male celebrity is much more important than being female and being raped at the age of 13. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.