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Polanksi Denied Bail - 138 Celebrities Demand Immediate Release

by Alyzee | October 6, 2009 at 10:23 am

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Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland on September 26 and his bid for bail release was denied. Polanski fled the US in 1978 so he could never be convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski is imprisoned with only a bed, a table and a TV to use and can be visited only by his wife one a week, msnbc reports.

As France earlier protested Polanski's arrest passionately, officials fear that Polanski's release from a Swiss prison may allow him to take refuge in France. However, France has toned-down its rallying support for the fugitive rapist and has described Polanski's crimes as serious, msnbc reports.

A petition has been signed by 138 people in the film industry demanding Polanski`s immediate release. Strong supporters of Polanski include Woody Allen, Pedro Almovadar and Martin Scorsese. Other signatories include actresses Monica Bellucci and Tilda Swinton, and directors David Lynch, Jonanthon Demme, John Landis, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Wim Wenders.

In the United States, powerhouse movie producer Harvey Weinstein is trying to recruit more supporters for Polanksi.
"We are calling every filmmaker we can to help fix this terrible situation," his company told CNN in a statement.

I think this is a good time to learn more about rape culture, and decide for ourselves whether our culture describes it.

See NowPublic member coverage: This Is What Rape Culture Looks Like

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Barbara McPherson

at 12:59 on October 6th, 2009

I think Polanski pleaded guilty to the charges. I, for one would not count Woody Allen as a good character witness. There is never a good way to say that you raped a 13 year old child.

albertacowpoke

at 14:27 on October 6th, 2009

After he plead guilty he became a fugitive and was only shielded from sentencing because the U.S. had no extradition treaty with France. Would we be having this discussion if it was the man on the street? Not likely.