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Politics | 01/13/2009 9:30 am

Polanski Rape Victim Samantha Geimer Asks Court to Dismiss 30-Year-Old Case

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Samantha Geimer at the "Roman Polanski" documentary

© AP

The woman raped by the fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski three decades ago — when she was only 13 — has asked the court to drop the case.

Samantha Geimer, now 45 years old and with a family, lashed out to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office this week, and said that publishing details of the case continues to cause "harm" to her and her family. Geimer wrote in a declaration to the court, reports BBC: "I have urged that this matter come to a formal legal end. I have urged that the district attorney and the court dismiss these charges."

Geimer says she believes prosecutors are deliberately reciting the sexually explicit details as a ploy to distract from accusations of wrongdoing by them and the judge who heard the case 31 years ago, the Associated Press reports. The request for dismissal will be heard January 21. Geimer says she is willing to appear in court, but says it’s a "cruel joke" to expect Polanksi to appear as well.

As we all know, Polanski fled the United States before he was sentenced but admitted to engaging in unlawful sex with a teenaged Geimer at actor Jack Nicholson’s house. Polanski believes that if he returns, he will be arrested, and has been living in France for decades. Not even winning an Oscar for best director in 2002 for "The Pianist" could lure him back. A 2008 HBO documentary, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," raised speculation that Polanski would return to the United States, for it prompted his lawyer to file his own dismissal motion. 

Guess we’ll have to wait and see if this latest brouhaha will bring Polanski back.

 

20 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

caj p
I would imagine rape is very traumatizing and each person deals with it differently, if that is what this lady wants then that is her choice but it does seem unfair that this man can get away with it. We can’t be judge and jury though, it’s a personal choice of the victim.
By caj p on 01/25/2009 1:56 pm
Chrissy Smith
Rape is rape and peadophilia is paedophlia, 30 years ago or yesterday. Samantha Geimer has had 30 years of torment and now , it seems, because of the courts allowing free publicity Polanski, great artist though he may be, is going to be free. Just because he admits his wrong doing does not mean he should escape justice. If the survivor’s family were not also becoming victims Samantha Geimer would not be asking for the case to be dismissed. Yet again it appears the system is letting down the people it is meant to support.
By Chrissy Smith on 01/30/2009 2:54 am
carol grzonka
i remember in 2002 the awards for ‘the pianist’ and seeing a standing ovation for polanski. and now ther are postings that attempt to excuse it again. so, its ok if you are involved in the creative process, but not if you’re a regular, untalented pedophile? are you forgetting that this is his job and he receives very good money for it? how can any person think that talent excuses the rapist of a 13 y.o. girl??? that being said, this poor woman may be very tired of being, perpetually seen as the victim of a famous man. her rights and wishes should rule
By carol grzonka on 02/05/2009 1:51 pm
albert miller
If we have any ideas about justice, why do we not investigate our own life circumstances? Are we living the lives we deserve?Are any of us living a fully happy life of satisfaction ? Even the billionaires don’t ever seem to have enough money or power. It looks to me, like the "old time religion"(of us being sinners who are on earth to be punished) rings very true.It just doesn’t tell us we are being punished for transgressions committed elsewhere in the cosmos.We can do diddly about preventing, or rectifying any bad happenings. The billions of missing dollars in this current scandals must have left earth,along withe the thieves responsible.
By albert miller on 02/23/2009 4:38 pm
Jersey Girl

Not only should he go back top jail for the rape he shouild be sentenced for running from a crime.  I feel bad for the victim but she should not be the one to forgive him:

HE RAPED A LITTLE GIRL AND RAN AWAY HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR BOTH CRIMES!!!

By Jersey Girl on 10/27/2009 11:23 am