The endless legal saga of Roman Polanski rages on, this time with another accuser saying the she was also ‘victimized’ by the filmmaker in 1973 when she was just 16 years old. The 59-year-old woman, who gave only the name Robin, said she was forced to come forward after Samantha Geimer (the woman who originally accused Polanski of rape) allegedly urged a California judge to drop the charges against him. Robin was flanked by famous civil rights lawyer Gloria Allred.
“This infuriated me,” Robin said. “I am speaking out now so that Samantha and the world will know that she is not the only minor Roman Polanski victimized.”
Carnage
Polanski was first indicted in 1977 on five criminal charges relating to an incident during which he allegedly plied Geimer with champagne and half a Quaalude, finally forcing the then 13-year-old to engage in sex acts. A grand jury charged Polanski with:
- Rape by use of drugs
- Perversion
- Sodomy
- Lewd and lascivious act upon a child under fourteen
- Furnishing a controlled substance to a minor
Polanski eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, but then fled the country in fear that the presiding judge would reject the plea deal and send him to jail. He’s been living in France, visiting only non-extradition countries, directing movies, and garnering awards ever since.
And then seven years ago, British actress Charlotte Lewis also came forward and claimed that the filmmaker had sexually assaulted her in his Paris apartment in the 1983 when she was also just 16.
The Ghost Writer
On Tuesday, Robin also came forward accusing the director, but declined to provide specific details, saying that Polanski’s fame “does not excuse his criminal conduct of sexually victimizing minors.” Allred, long a champion of sexual assault victims argued that Polanski should be present to answer the accusations: “An exception should not be made for a Hollywood film director and it would be wrong for the court to appear to give special treatment to Mr. Polanski,” Allred said.
Polanski remains a fugitive lawsuit, and it doesn’t seem like the criminal courts or a civil lawsuit will catch up with him anytime soon.
Related Resources:
- Another Woman Publicly Accuses Roman Polanski of Underage Rape (USA Today)
- Roman Polanski Says He’ll Come Back to US If Court Promises No Jail Time (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Roman Polanski’s Attorneys Want Sex Abuse Case Dismissed (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Countries With No U.S. Extradition Treaty (FindLaw Blotter)