On 28 September 2009, newspapers around the world reported that Roman Polanski was arrested in Zurich and awaited extradition to the US to stand trial for the rape of a 13-year-old in 1978.
Polanski and his past
What astonished me was that the film festival authorities expressed “dismay” at this turn of events.
Why?
Is Roman Polanski above the law? Why? Because he is undoubtedly a creative genius of a very high order?
If that’s the logic then every child abuser now has an additional defence. He need no longer plead insanity. He only needs to plead genius.
Child abuse is simply unacceptable. Roman Polanski had sex with a 13-year-old girl. There’s just no excuse for it. And, genius or not, he must pay for his crime just as any other individual would have to do. Being a creative genius does not exempt him from the very standards of conduct we apply to ourselves.
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