(Los Angeles) Roman Polanski is the subject of a civil trial which will be organized next year in California and will relate to accusations of rape of a minor in 1973 targeting the Franco-Polish filmmaker, the plaintiff’s lawyer announced on Tuesday.
But Mr. Polanski fled American justice in 1977 after a conviction in another case in which he was charged with rape of a minor, and has since managed to evade extradition requests.
The presence at the hearing of the director, accused of rape and sexual assault by a total of ten women, is therefore very hypothetical.
The civil trial, scheduled for August 2025, is mainly dedicated to the victim, nicknamed “Robin” for a time and presented as Jane Doe in her complaint, believes her lawyer Gloria Allred, figure of the #metoo movement and representative of victims of the fallen producer Harvey Weinstein.
According to the complaint, Roman Polanski took this teenager to dinner in a Los Angeles restaurant in 1973. He allegedly made her drink tequila then took her home before assaulting her.
“She told him ‘please don’t do this’,” the lawyer told the press. “She maintains that he refused her requests. She also alleges that defendant Polanski removed plaintiff’s clothing and then sexually assaulted her, causing her immense physical and emotional pain and suffering. »
This woman, whose age is not known, made these accusations public in 2017. The director’s lawyer then affirmed that his client “strongly contested any accusation of rape”.
His complaint seeks damages, without a specific amount. It was filed in June 2023, just before a window of time closed during which, according to Californian legislation, litigants could file complaints for rape or sexual assault dating back years earlier.
In another case, a trial for defamation against the filmmaker was held last week in Paris. He had described the accusations of sexual assault made against him by British actress Charlotte Lewis as “odious lies”. She was present; him, living in Paris, represented by his lawyers. The judgment will be delivered on May 14.
PHOTO ALAIN JOCARD, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Charlotte Lewis
Roman Polanski, who has become for some a symbol of impunity for sexual violence, is the talented author of a dark work, in tune with a life punctuated by trials and scandals. He received a Palme d’Or, an Oscar and ten Césars for his 23 feature films.
He has always refuted the accusations that have emerged in recent years for alleged facts around the 1970s.
In 1977, arrested, accused of having drugged and raped Samantha Gailey (later Geimer), 13 years old, he spent 42 days in prison before being released and then fleeing to Paris. He has since been the subject of an international arrest warrant from the American justice system.