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THE UNITED STATES have asked Poland to extradite filmmaker Roman Polanski, who pleaded guilty in 1977 to raping a 13-year-old but left the country before sentencing, Polish prosecutors said today.
The move comes months after the US attempted to have the French-Polish filmmaker arrested for sex offences when he travelled to Warsaw for the opening of a Jewish museum in October.
Polish prosecutors questioned the 81-year-old maker of The Pianist and Chinatown but allowed him to walk free.
Request to extradite the director
The extradition request was sent on Monday and will be transferred over to the regional prosecutors handling the case, according to Mateusz Martyniuk, spokesman for the general prosecutor’s office.
“The first prosecutors will do is question Polanski,” he told AFP, while refusing to give the filmmaker’s location at the moment.
Polanski was accused of raping Samantha Geimer after a photo shoot in 1977 when he was 43 years old.
He pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, or statutory rape, avoiding a trial, but then fled the country fearing a hefty sentence.
US officials have pressed for his extradition regularly to no avail.
Polanski, who became a French citizen in 1976 after moving there from Poland, was arrested in Switzerland on an international arrest warrant in 2009. He was released after being held for months.
New hearing?
Polanski’s lawyers recently requested a new hearing to try and close the case on procedural grounds, but a Los Angeles judge refused to reopen the case last month.
Polanski’s lawyer Jerzy Stachowicz told AFP he was aware of the extradition request and refused to say whether his client was currently in Poland.
A Polish court will examine the extradition request. A rejection would mean the case is closed. But if the court approves the request, it will be up to the justice ministry to give the final go-ahead.
Martyniuk told AFP in October that Polanski’s extradition was still possible because “the statute of limitations does not apply to US requests”.
Geimer wrote a book about her encounter with Polanski in 2013, in which she said she was made to drink champagne and was given a sleeping pill before being raped by Polanski in the house of actor Jack Nicholson.
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The UK is like an impetuous child , you have to let it happen before they realize how insane the idea was. Unfortunately Brexit has to happen, it’s a bit like a cure now, to end the delusion and madness of a country that can’t cope with the loss of its World dominance.
@The long walk home☘️: they become a third country, their nearest Ally is America, they actually thought Europe would support them over Ireland, their arrogance is astounding. Reading comments on Daily Mail news the majority of British people can’t wait to leave the EU, IMO they are brainwashed.
@Brianán McBride: The majority of Daily Mail readers want to leave the EU. The majority of Daily Mail readers are troglodytes.
@The long walk home☘️: When you said let it happen and they realise their mistake … Iraq has WMDs and Libya needs democracy and freedom comes to mind. Over 1 million dead civilians and both countries are still screwed up. I get your point, hope you get mine.
@TheHeathen: that paper isn’t worth wiping ur you what with.
It’s not the EU preventing you from leaving. The EU took off the shackles and your cell door is wide open. You just can’t make up your mind how and when to walk through the door, or if you really want to.
He gave them the opportunity and he did what other Tory leaders resisted at much cost to themselves but Cameron capitulated for his own survival. He can and will blame others but his decision was the decisive one and he’ll never be able to shake it off no matter who he accuses.
So claims the prime catalyst for Brexit.
@Niall: I totally agree, it’s his damn fault for rushing the referendum and not making clear to the British people exactly the implications of leaving the EU. He should hang his head in shame.
@Brianán McBride: And it was party first! Not the people nor the country.
@Brianán McBride: he didn’t know the exact implications of leaving the EU. They still don’t!
@Brianán McBride: and what are the “implications”? A deal was negotiated to smoothly transition out of the EU and the Labour, who now categorically state No Deal would be a catastrophe, voted against the deal three times.
The implications are self inflicted, and just implications for deciding to Leave.
@Niall: he didn’t think the vote would go that way and thought it would be an easy win.
When Cambridge analytica got involved it was game over
The Hulk always escapes but he also leaves a trail of destruction behind him as he does so and then wakes up in the tattered remnants of his clothing. So yeah, a character that destroys his own clothes and surroundings is a great analogy for a Brexiteer.
@Kendra Jackson: It will also be a “titanic success” :).
So they endlessly lies but you couldn’t “hit back” by telling the truth? Sounds like you assumed you’d squeak the win and didn’t want to risk fracturing your party? How’d that work out Davy?
More like the incredible sulk than hulk boris.
Brexit will happen and when there economy tanks and they want back in the EU will say of course but you have to join the Euro currency….;)
@windbag: they’ll still blame the EU for not giving them a better deal.
@EillieEs: exactly like everything else they’ll blame the EU and that other sham of a politician auld nigel will walk away blameless
Cameron, your timing is impeccable. The decision to capitulate to the vote initially was really poor, and now you’re tossing your memoirs out into the teeth of the Brexit gale. Good luck with that. Tosser
More fiction from BoJo.
That mail on Sunday front page headline sums it all up really. Amazing coincidence Cameron has popped his head out whatever hole he was hiding in and right before his book comes out
I know what is going to turn mild ‘Bruce Banner’ Britain into The Incredible Hulk.
It’s the Gammon Radiation!
No point in Cameron accusing Johnson of political meandering. Cameron despite being a pro European delivered the referendum as a promise to win the General election.
When you sell your soul, the devil will eventually come to collect.
More likely kermit the frog, muppets.
The Hulk was destroyed in the end!
@Nuala Mc Namara: The Incredulous Bulk?
The incredible sulk.
The Incredible Hulk was reckless and out of control… sounds about right.
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