UnNews:Swiss free Polanski after US refuse to extradite rapist
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| Swiss free Polanski after US refuse to extradite rapist | 
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13 July 2010
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Authorities in Switzerland have decided not to extradite film director Roman Polanski to the US to face sentencing for a case dating back to 1977. Instead they freed Polanski from house arrest and gave him the Swiss Kingdom Come Medal of Valor.
Polanski, 76, has been under house arrest in his Swiss chalet since December 2009 pending the decision by USA authorities to extradite the alleged seductress, Ms. Samantha Geimer, who was 13 at the time she took advantage of and sexually abused the heart-broken director.
He is wanted in the US over a conviction for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. But Geimer herself is wanted in Switzerland over a conviction for unlawful sex with a 76-year-old boy.
Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said that "Here it is illegal to rape a 76 year old man, and back in 1977 she did it! Since it is clear that the US do not intend to cooperate, therefore restrictions on his liberty have been lifted."
A Swiss official said the US cannot appeal the decision.
Polanski faces arrest over his conviction for unlawful sex with an underage girl in 1977 should he ever return to the United States. And the same is true for Geimer should she ever visit Switzerland.
The director and Geimer, who were originally charged with six offenses including sexual contact, kissing, fondling, sodomy, gokkun, and water-sports, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex following a plea bargain.
But Polanski left the US in 1978 to pursue a monastic life before he could be sentenced and has never returned.
He was taken into custody in Switzerland in September last year as he travelled from France to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.
Polanski, whose films include Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist, was moved from prison and placed under house arrest at his chalet in the resort of Gstaad in early December.
The Swiss government declared Polanski a free man on Monday after rejecting the US extradition request. The Swiss said US authorities failed to provide confidential testimony about Polanski's original sentencing procedure. Nor would they agree to extradite Geimer to Switzerland where she is already convicted for unlawfully luring and tempting the director in 1977.
The Justice Ministry also said that ‘national interests’ were taken into consideration in the decision. “Yes, the whole nation of Switzerland has interest to hear the randy details of Polanski’s unlawful seduction at the hands of Geimer."
A statement said: "The 76-year-old French-Polish film director Roman Polanski will not be extradited to the US.
"The freedom-restricting measures against him have been revoked."
It added: "The reason for the decision lies in the fact that it was not possible to exclude with the necessary certainty a fault in our extraditionary request for the real culprit."
Sources
- Staff Reporter "Switzerland rejects US extradition of Roman Polanski". BBC, July 13, 2010