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BERN, Switzerland — The Swiss government declared renowned film director Roman Polanski a free man on Monday after rejecting a U.S. request to extradite him on a charge of having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

The Swiss mostly blamed U.S. authorities for failing to provide confidential testimony about Polanski's sentencing procedure in 1977-1978.

The Justice Ministry also said that national interests were taken into consideration in the decision.

"The 76-year-old French-Polish film director Roman Polanski will not be extradited to the USA," the ministry said in a statement. "The freedom-restricting measures against him have been revoked."

It was unclear if Polanski had already left his Swiss chalet in the resort of Gstaad, where he has been held under house arrest since December.

danefan wrote:US extradition request denied by the Swiss.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD9GTGFSO0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BERN, Switzerland — The Swiss government declared renowned film director Roman Polanski a free man on Monday after rejecting a U.S. request to extradite him on a charge of having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

The Swiss mostly blamed U.S. authorities for failing to provide confidential testimony about Polanski's sentencing procedure in 1977-1978.

The Justice Ministry also said that national interests were taken into consideration in the decision.

"The 76-year-old French-Polish film director Roman Polanski will not be extradited to the USA," the ministry said in a statement. "The freedom-restricting measures against him have been revoked."

It was unclear if Polanski had already left his Swiss chalet in the resort of Gstaad, where he has been held under house arrest since December.

Grizalltheway wrote:

danefan wrote:US extradition request denied by the Swiss.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD9GTGFSO0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sounds pretty brutal, how on earth did he manage to survive that?

93henfan wrote:Was it a crime? Yep. Should he have been punished? Yep. Bottom line: if this was a matter of national security, we'd have had him assassinated or apprehended by now, but it's not. So, all things considered, the best use of resources is probably to simply close the case and move on. Considering that the victim wants the issue to go away anyway, I don't really have any heartburn with this.

For counterpoint, cue Cluck, Native, et al.

Cluck U wrote:

93henfan wrote:Was it a crime? Yep. Should he have been punished? Yep. Bottom line: if this was a matter of national security, we'd have had him assassinated or apprehended by now, but it's not. So, all things considered, the best use of resources is probably to simply close the case and move on. Considering that the victim wants the issue to go away anyway, I don't really have any heartburn with this.

For counterpoint, cue Cluck, Native, et al.

I wonder if you'll have a daughter...and I wonder if you'd feel the same if someone rapes your daughter.

93henfan wrote:

Cluck U wrote:


I wonder if you'll have a daughter...and I wonder if you'd feel the same if someone rapes your daughter.

If I did have a 13-year old daughter, I probably wouldn't drop her off alone at Jack Nicholson's house alone with an eccentric movie director that had asked to take pictures of her for a French magazine. Call me crazy.

Cluck U wrote:

93henfan wrote:
If I did have a 13-year old daughter, I probably wouldn't drop her off alone at Jack Nicholson's house alone with an eccentric movie director that had asked to take pictures of her for a French magazine. Call me crazy.

So she deserved to get raped because of the stupidity of the father? Case closed...no one is allowed to feel bad if the 13 year old girl was put into a compromising position. Sweep it under the rug.

"Hey, officer, I think I should get off easy - heck, I just did get off rather easily with that girl...did you get a look at that beauty? - because her father was at fault for allowing her to be with me alone. I was just a victim of a primal urge."

andy7171 wrote:That 13 year old girl is now 43 and apparently got paid. I can understand what 93 is saying, my girls aren't getting left alone with anyone I don't know and trust. I also can see Cluck opinion that stupidity shouldn't be in the excusing of the crime. Let him live his life in exile, but if he comes back to the US, I want him charged and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

What is really appalling to me about this story is how all of Hollywood is blatantly looking the other way and/or excusing it as if it's a minor offense.

CID1990 wrote:Where you guys see outrage, I see opportunity.

Just give all our child molesters plane tix to Bern, and when they arrive, swear out death warrants on them.

That solves having to pay for their sorry a$$es in prison.