1975 Sexual Assault Allegations Are Time-Barred
Rape Suspicions Also in Switzerland and France
Never Once Appeared in Court
Director Roman Polanski (91) has reached a settlement with the victim in the case where he was accused of sexually assaulting a minor in the United States 51 years ago.
Director Roman Polanski
According to AFP and other U.S. media on the 23rd (local time), a woman who concealed her identity filed a civil lawsuit in the Los Angeles (LA) County Superior Court last June, claiming that Polanski sexually assaulted her when she was sixteen by giving her alcohol at his home in Los Angeles in 1973. Polanski's side strongly denied the allegations through their lawyer.
The trial, which was scheduled for August next year, ended with a settlement. According to LA County Superior Court records, the plaintiff submitted documents to withdraw the lawsuit earlier this month. Gloria Allred, the attorney in charge, said, "A mutually satisfactory settlement has been reached." Polanski's side also stated, "Both parties settled this summer." Neither side disclosed the specific terms of the agreement.
The Los Angeles Police Department recently investigated allegations that Polanski sexually assaulted a girl in 1975. However, the prosecution decided not to bring the case to trial, judging that the statute of limitations had expired.
Born in France and active in Poland, director Polanski gained fame with films such as Repulsion (1965) and Cul-de-sac (1966), and later entered Hollywood in the United States. He achieved great success with films like Chinatown (1974), but his career was hindered after sexual crime allegations surfaced. In 1977, he was arrested in Los Angeles for raping a thirteen-year-old model.
He admitted to the charges but fled abroad during the trial after a plea bargain was rejected. He never set foot on U.S. soil again and continued his work only in Europe. Although he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Director for The Pianist (2002), he did not attend the ceremony due to fear of arrest. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which hosts the Oscars, permanently revoked Polanski's membership in 2018 amid the #MeToo movement.
He was also accused of sexual assault in Switzerland but was not prosecuted due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. In France, he faced multiple sexual assault allegations but never stood trial.
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