Roman Polanski, the French-Polish film director, spoke about the decades-old rape case at the Zurich Film Festival. He was in Zurich to promote his latest film Based on a True Story.
“As far as what I did: It’s over. I pleaded guilty. I went to jail. I came back to the United States to do it, people forget about that, or don’t even know. I then was locked up here [in Zurich] after this festival. So in the sum, I did about four or five times more than what was promised to me,” he was quoted as by The Hollywood Reporter.
Back in June, Samantha Geimer, had appealed for the case to be dismissed so that she could move on. However, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon denied her request saying he could not dismiss the case “merely because it would be in the victim’s best interest”.
Geimer had said that 40 years had passed and urged for the case to be put to rest “as an act of mercy” towards her and her family.
In 1977, Polanski, who was then 43, had allegedly drugged a 13-year-old Geimer and forced her to have sexual relations with him after a photo session.
Polanski pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful sex with a minor and spent 42 days in prison, however when out on bail and fearing having to serve a more severe sentence, the filmmaker fled the US towards the end of 1978.
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In February, Polanski had presented a series of legal documents to be able to return to the country and close the case, as long as he was guaranteed he would not have to spend any more time behind bars.
For decades, the filmmaker’s movements have been restricted over fears of extradition to the US.
In another case similar to that of Geimer, a woman came out in public claiming Polanski had sexually abused her in 1973 when she was 16.
Moreover, in 2010 actress Charlotte Lewis said the filmmaker had sexually abused her in 1982 when she was 16.
With inputs from IANS