Polanski arrested in Switzerland on US warrant!!

[3dot...]

my only question is this... wtf took them so long ?
it's not like he's been hiding ?!

[Machinesworking]

Completely disagree. If he'd have done his time 32 years ago that would have been the end of it, and no-one would care about the victim now.

I don't think anybody would have stayed with the possibility of life in prison back on the table after offering a plea bargain that had you admitting guilt.

I actually think it's very strange of her to complain about the media spotlight after she's given a number of interviews about the incident over the years, and allowed herself to be photographed at media screenings of Polanski's films, but that's just my opinion....

Right, because she would be able to avoid the spotlight if she wanted to. The media is so understanding and cool. Like she said, if you bothered to read either interview, when she hid from the media, she was painted as a whore.

Besides, her wishes at this stage are irrelevant - the justice system serves society as a whole, not individuals, and society views the crime in question as extremely serious and worthy of punishment. Why should a child rapist get let off the hook just because the victim, following receipt of a substantial amount of money, says she forgives him? What about if instead of forgiving him, she asked that all her male relatives could kick him to death - would you support her wishes then, as well?

Society as a whole is often wrong. You don't know me that well, yes I would think it was OK to kick him to death if that's what she wanted, but any sane person would realize that retaliation is a possibility. Also, realistically a civil suit would have been filed regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, it's disingenuous at best to think that money was the only thing that the victim wanted from a court case. At worse it's calling the victim a money grubber, which is dammed near as bad as calling her a whore.
And yes, this is what society as a whole does. At first when she doesn't appear before the media, the media makes her out to be pimped out and a total drug addict etc. When she does appear and she doesn't have the version of the 'truth' that society wants, she's called a money grubber. Remember, this is the victim we're talking about here.

[mickey disco]

Right, because she would be able to avoid the spotlight if she wanted to. The media is so understanding and cool. Like she said, if you bothered to read either interview, when she hid from the media, she was painted as a whore.

She was painted as a whore by Polanski and his friends, certainly. Jack Nicholson was pretty outspoken at the time, and Polanski wrote in his autobiography that she 'enjoyed' it (anyone who believes this should read the victims' testimony in court on The Smoking Gun, which was accurately summarised a page or two ago). I guess that such 'influential' people have a lot of friends in the media to propogate their bullshit. Certainly, had Polanski been a plumber or an electrician, none of that bullshit would have been printed. And even when it was, remember she was still anonymous until she chose to relinquish that. I'm not judging her for that, but it's a fact.

Society as a whole is often wrong.

Maybe, maybe not, but in this case society is demanding that a fugitive child rapist be punished for his crime. Fine with me.

don't know me that well, yes I would think it was OK to kick him to death if that's what she wanted,

then why have a legal system at all then, if you're just going to have victims dictate how criminals should be punished?

, realistically a civil suit would have been filed regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, it's disingenuous at best to think that money was the only thing that the victim wanted from a court case. At worse it's calling the victim a money grubber, which is dammed near as bad as calling her a whore.

I think you've misunderstood me here. The money (as I understood it) came from an out-of-court settlement, the settlement terms of which remain confidential. I think it's perfectly valid to speculate that the settlement terms may have precluded the victim from continuing to rain fire and brimstone on Polanski in the press. In any case, her wishes do not influence the legal process, as they don't in any other case in my country or yours.

And yes, this is what society as a whole does. At first when she doesn't appear before the media, the media makes her out to be pimped out and a total drug addict etc. When she does appear and she doesn't have the version of the 'truth' that society wants, she's called a money grubber. Remember, this is the victim we're talking about here.

Yes, but as I've said her opinion now is irrelevant - she's already given testimony under oath in a court of law. When Polanski appears before the judge for sentencing, it would be appropriate then for the judge to listen to her before sentencing and then he can choose to take her wishes into account or disregard them. Certainly the role of the media has been an ugly one, but as I said - Polanski and his influential Hollywood friends most likely have a lot to answer for there. I've certainly never seen child rape 'justified' when the perpetrator isn't famous.....

I hope you forgive me when I say that it seems a little odd (and depressing) trying to convince someone that child rape is wrong and deserves punishment, whether it happened yesterday or 32 years ago. I have one question for you: what do you think should happen to Roman Polanski?

[Machinesworking]

I hope you forgive me when I say that it seems a little odd (and depressing) trying to convince someone that child rape is wrong and deserves punishment, whether it happened yesterday or 32 years ago. I have one question for you: what do you think should happen to Roman Polanski?

Originally he plea bargained down to unlawful sex with a minor. This would have given him at most ten years in prison. After he submitted his plea the judge was to everybody involved obviously going to renege. At least that's how I understand it. What that meant was Polanski was looking at the possibility of life in prison. Nearly anybody would have fled under those circumstances.
I think the original plea bargain should remain, and the penalties for fleeing should be dropped. It's just as likely that he'll get life in prison though.