Roman Polanski didn’t make the top five in our Screengrab Person of the Year awards for 2008, but it’s a safe bet he was in the top ten. We’ve been covering each new development in his quest to end his exile from the United States stemming from his 1977 arrest on charges of drugging and raping a thirteen-year-old girl, and now there is breaking news that may bring the 75-year-old director a step closer to returning to our shores.
According to CNN, “The alleged victim in a 1977 sexual assault case against director Roman Polanski has filed court papers seeking dismissal of the charges against him. The woman's declaration seeking dismissal was filed Monday in Los Angeles, California, in connection with Polanski's efforts to have the 31-year-old case dismissed.”
It was last year’s documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (due later this month on DVD) that re-opened the debate about the case. The alleged victim, Samantha Geimer, would prefer to close down the discussion once and for all. “I am no longer a 13-year-old child. I have dealt with the difficulties of being a victim, have surmounted and surpassed them with one exception. Every time this case is brought to the attention of the Court, great focus is made of me, my family, my mother and others. That attention is not pleasant to experience and is not worth maintaining over some irrelevant legal nicety, the continuation of the case.”
Polanski’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the charges in December. A hearing is scheduled for January 21st. Tune in here for further developments.
Related:
Roman Polanski: Wanted in Los Angeles, Desired in Turin
Polanski Sexual Assault Victim Gives Thumbs Up to "Polanski: The Movie"
