Blog 4

A child molester has been arrested.  Not just any child molester, either, but one who fled the country after his conviction.  Roman Polanski was finally arrested, 32 years after he drugged a 13 year old girl and had sex with her. 

I have never understood why he was allowed to go free for so long.

Now, I do not understand why people are unhappy with his arrest.  What other convicted child molester would be allowed to go free after conviction, to live in France, to vacation in Switzerland, to continue to make films (and win awards for them)?  Admittedly, a shameful amount of child molesters go free… but they are not as famous, nor are they convicted.  The fact that he was allowed to be free for so long has long made the statement that if you are wealthy, or a celebrity, then you can get away with anything. 

News articles mention his wife’s murder at the hands of the Manson family as part of a “look how much he’s suffered already” campaign.  Sympathy does not justify sex crimes.  The sympathy generating machines also wants us to feel bad that he hasn’t been able to make movies in Hollywood.  He was still able to make movies, though, so this means nothing to me, and it shouldn’t make a difference to anyone.  The same news articles mention that the victim received a legal settlement and just wants to put this all behind her in the same sentence, promoting the idea that cash cures everything, and minimizing the victim’s experience. 

If Polanski is freed, the message to the world is that conviction for child molesting does not matter.  Drugging and raping thirteen year old girls does not matter. 

On the other hand, if he is extradited and serves his sentence, the message is a powerful one.  It is a message that says “there are no excuses, there are no time limits, there are no get-out-of-jail-free cards for celebrities who molest children.” 

This message is important.