Sunday, September 27, 2009

Roman Polanski arrested for 1977 child rape.

It's about time he served for his crime of writing and directing The Ninth Gate. From Daily Mail:
Roman Polanski was today in custody in Switzerland and facing extradition to the USA in connection with a 32-year-old charge of having sex with an underage girl.

The 76-year-old Oscar-winning director was being held at a police station in Zurich under a 1978 arrest warrant issued in Los Angeles.

Polanski, whose films include Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist, has never faced justice after admitting to sleeping with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (then Gailey) in 1977 after plying her with sedative drugs and champagne in Hollywood.

Instead he fled to London in 1978, and then on to his home city of Paris, where he has lived and worked ever since, despite legally being an international fugitive.

Under a treaty with the USA, France can refuse to extradite its own citizens even if they face criminal charges.

But on Saturday Mr Polanski made a rare trip abroad to Zurich, where he was today due to pick up a lifetime achievement award at the city’s annual film festival.

Instead detectives approached him as soon as he entered the country, serving him with the 1978 arrest warrant.

‘There was no resistance to the arrest, and all cooperation was offered,’ said a Zurich police spokesman.

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