Sarkozy slams the Swiss for Polanski arrest
By IANSSaturday, October 17, 2009
NEW YORK - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has offered his support to Hollywood filmmaker Roman Polanski who has been detained by Swiss authorities for a sex offence.
Sarkozy has insisted that a 76-year-old man should not have been arrested for crimes he committed 32 years ago, reports hollywood.com.
The moviemaker, who fled to France in 1978 as he awaited sentencing for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at a Hollywood party, was arrested by Swiss authorities while attending a film festival in Zurich last month.
Polanski is fighting extradition to the US, where prosecutors hope to conclude his sentencing. Now Sarkozy has joined a group of Hollywood stars and industry moguls in questioning Polanski’s detention.
“I understand that people are shocked by the gravity of the accusations against Roman Polanski, but it is not a good administration of justice to do this 32 years after the facts when the person concerned is today 76 years old,” he said.
Polanski’s victim, Samantha Geimer, has already forgiven the director for his actions in 1977, insisting Polanski does not deserve to be behind bars.
|
October 21, 2009: 4:18 am
So Sarkozy is actually criticizing another country’s administration of justice. Unfortunately, this exhibits a lack of good judgment on his part. Most importantly, he does not seem to care that a majority of french are in favor of Polanski’s return to the US. He should have just taken a neutral position but I suppose Sarkozy prefers to side with the ‘non-philistines’ group of elite creme de la creme who think the law does not apply to them. I agree, as a victim, I don’t care if Polanski goes to jail for 5 days or 5 years. I do want justice to tell a child rapist that he cannot design his own punishment. |
Nancy in Paris