A 43-year-old man invites a 13-year-old girl into the mansion of a Hollywood actor, ostensibly for a photo-shoot, but plies her with drugs and champagne and proceeds to have sex with her. When caught, he enters into a plea bargain and pleads guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, but flees the country before sentencing. Ordinarily, such a set of circumstances would render it difficult for any member of the public to sympathise with the man.
But that man is Roman Polanski, now 76 years old, who has spent the past 30 years evading the jurisdiction of the United States. It is difficult to understand the logic behind those who support Polanski, but nevertheless, leading public figures have often spoken in his favour, while glossing over the contemptible nature of his alleged crime. Some say that by having had to lead a life as a fugitive, visiting only countries which do not extradite suspects to the United States, Polanski has served his due. Such arguments display remarkable delusion and disconnect with the real world.
For in the past 30 years, Polanski has not been cast out as a sex offender, but hailed as an artistic genius. As an acclaimed figure, he has continued to make films with popular actors and has received numerous awards, including an Oscar for best director. After his arrest by Swiss authorities last year, pending decision on extradition, he was granted bail and remained in 'house arrest', which meant staying in his chalet in the Swiss Alps. For any law-abiding citizen, such a life smacks more of privilege, rather than punishment.
It appears that Polanski's lawyers have built up a case of procedural irregularity, or even judicial misconduct regarding the handling of his plea bargain more than 30 years ago. This only strengthens the case for extraditing him to the United States where he has the opportunity of a fair hearing to put forward his defence and clear his name. We may never know whether Polanski showed such vile disregard for the dignity of another human being, as the charges implied. But we can be sure that he has shown utter disregard for the dignity of the judicial process.
