Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Should Polanski Get A Pass?

I can understand why the woman in the Polanski sex scandal would like to keep it all in the past.

After all, it happened 32 years ago. She is now married with three children. Why reopen old wounds? I can't disagree with that except for Polanski to be brought to justice, those wounds will have to be reopened, the fire rekindled. Such is the way it is with the media and celebrity.

As much as I'd like to see the lady have her privacy, I'd like even more to see Polanski brought to justice. If a nineteen year old boy has sex with his underage girlfriend and gets caught he'll have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his days. There is no reason why a man who lied to a thirteen year old girl's mother, found his way to a friend's hot tub, plies her with champagne and a Quaalude then has sex with her should not have to pay a penalty equally as harsh, if not more so, just because he is a celebrity!

Granted he had some pretty serious emotional baggage of his own, having suffered through the aftermath of the horrendous murder of his wife and friends at the hands of Charlie Manson's nutcases, it is no excuse for what he did.

He skipped the country, finding safe haven in Europe. He went on to a career as an Oscar winning director while she dropped out of school at 18, got pregnant and married by the time she was nineteen.

Both were victims of media overkill, she being made out to be the "temptress" while he was the one who committed the crime.

I'm sure Polanski would like to put it behind also. There is one way to have that happen. Face judgement. Would the courts be lenient because he has lead an exemplary life since? I don't know if he has or not. If not, I can't think of a better time to begin.

It would be a powerful statement emphasizing that at least in one case, the perpetrator is not above the law, no matter how rich or famous. It might also give pause to others who think young girls are no more than fair game!

3 comments:

Peggy said...

I think absolutly he should be brought back to the US and be brought for trial. If his sentence is no time in jail then so be it!
The girl was 13 years old....!
It's against the law...period!

Margie's Musings said...

He should be tried and if convicted..imprisoned. The rich get away with way too much!!

Word Tosser said...

from my understanding he has already had his day in court for a trial... he ran before the sentencing part. So all he has to go to court and be sentenced.
The ironic part of this is.... had he gone to court in the first place, he would have been our of prison a long time ago. And not look over his shoulders all these years.
The fact that Clinton and other stars have stood up for him now, makes me nauseas. I am sick of the rich and famous getting a pass.