If they'd only known, Swiss authorities would have arrested Polanski long ago, official says

Roman Polanski would have been arrested by Swiss authorities long ago if they knew he regularly visited the country, a top Swiss justice official said.

Polanski -- who fled the U.S. three decades ago to avoid sentencing for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old -- was arrested last month as he got off a plane to attend the Zurich film festival.

His supporters have questioned the timing of the arrest, noting Polanski has been to Switzerland many times and even has a chalet at a Swiss resort.

But Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf insisted authorities never knew Polanski traveled to Switzerland -- until L.A. prosecutors informed them Polanski planned to attend the festival.

"This time, we knew that he would be coming. After all, the organizers of the Zurich Film Festival had actively made it known," Widmer-Schlumpf told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung.

"Switzerland is a constitutional state, and Mr. Polanski should always have counted on being disturbed on his earlier stays as well," Widmer-Schlumpf said.  "The arrest of Mr. Polanski has been sought worldwide by Interpol since 2005. If he comes to Switzerland, we are duty bound to fulfill the arrest as a treaty partner of the United States."

Polanski is facing what could be a long extradition battle. His lawyers say he will fight efforts to bring him back to Los Angeles.

A former Swiss justice minster criticized the way he was arrested.

Christoph Blocher told the Associated Press this weekend that Polanski should have been warned he would be arrested if he came to Zurich.

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

-- Shelby Grad

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Comments

[J B]

He has a freaking house in Gstaad - how could they not have known?

Or maybe the Swiss aren't as organized and efficient as we think.

[Kevin]

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

So, when someone who has been avoiding arrest for 30 years is going to be going somewhere he can be arrested at, we should warn them?

He is a sorry excuse for a man and deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl.

[eric]

Its really sad when people defend a pedo just because of his "talents". This is also the prime reason victims dont report the harm they recieve. Fact is he broke the law and should pay for it!

[eric]

Its really sad when people defend a pedo just because of his "talents". This is also the prime reason victims dont report the harm they recieve. Fact is he broke the law and should pay for it!

[Tip And Ring]

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

Apparently Blocher has never heard of a sting.

[mary]

- A former Swiss justice minster criticized the way he was arrested.
Christoph Blocher told the Associated Press this weekend that Polanski should have been warned he would be arrested if he came to Zurich.
"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that." -
Well, maybe that's just one reason why you are the FORMER Justice Minister and no longer employed as such Mr. Blocher (cue the horses neighing in background "Young Frankenstein").

[Piotr Orloff]

As my dad would say, it sounds like Switzerland is having "administrative problems." This is the dumbest, most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard from one nation. Too stupid to be believable!

[Abell]

I don't believe a word of this. Prior to your move to Switzerland and getting a residence permit (which you must have to do ANYTHING - even get a cell phone), you are required to provide a letter from the police department in your US locality, stating that you have no criminal record. I lived there from 2005-2007 and both my husband and I were required to do this. So, how is it that you can buy a chalet there and no one finds out that you raped a thirteen year-old girl? Right.

[Mir]

Christoph Blocher told the Associated Press this weekend that Polanski should have been warned he would be arrested if he came to Zurich. "You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

You simply don't rape anyone - maybe Polanski should have told the 13 year old she was going to be anally raped twice before he did it. "You simply don't do that."

I will boycott everyone that supports Polanski.

[Boils]

Christoph Blocher was the former Swiss justice minister? Now we know why Switzerland is country filled with international scum.

[Sue]

If he had been forewarned of arrest, I imagine he would have RSVP'd the event!

[JayCeezy]

Switzerland must have been very frustrated for all those years, trying to find Marc Rich's chalet.

[Jaunenito]

When you commit a crime you become a number not a name. Other victims? You don't turn into a pedophile at age 43; and most certainly don't stop at age 43!! I wonder who else has been paid off? Politics? Talent? What about the victims? I can't decide what makes me wanna puke more: what he did or the soulless perverts who support him. Time? There are war criminals being sought from WWII. Justice has no limitation with murder & pedophilia. We're far from perfect, but you gotta love America.

[Laura Aikens Goeller]

When I read of Polanski's arrest I too said, oh why are we bringing this back up.

But then I used my brain.

He raped a 13 year old girl, a child. From pictures she did NOT look any older than 13. He RAPED a child, end of story.

When it looked like things were not going to go the way Polanski wanted in court he fled. This makes him a fugitive.

For some of Hollywood to try to defend him, I ask that these people also use their brains. If this had been your 13 year old daughter or sister, would you be supporting this man's release?

Would you support a fugitive rapist if his name were not Polanski? Talent does not negate the crime that was committed. For the Hollywood people to turn Polanski into a victim, all I have to say is shame on you. Polanski is a criminal rapist, who is a fugitive from justice; end of story.

[marshall kennedy]

If it was Blochers daughter would he have the same point of view I wonder ?

[Liz]

You wrote that Christoph Blocher told the Associated Press this weekend that Polanski should have been warned he would be arrested if he came to Zurich.

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

Get real - he was convicted 30 years ago of the crime. It should not matter that he is a famous director. He needs to pay for his crime - no matter how long ago it was. The only reason he didn't pay for his crimes at that time is that he had the funds to leave the country. It will be a cold day in h... before I ever support his lifestyle by seeing one of his films.

[Bill T]

Polanski probably used his French passport and residence when he bought the Gstaad home. Presumably he has a clean record there.

And, stupid as it sounds, if L.A. did not keep an open arrest warrant on file at Interpol, the Swiss would have no way of knowing he was still wanted in the U.S. There might be some willful ignorance going on in Switzerland, but the L.A. Prosecutors don't have clean hands either.

The Swiss probably don't track foreigners inside their borders, unlike a certain Patriot-enActed nation I could name. So they can claim official ignorance of his whereabouts, even when he's in the news on a ski vacation.

[tr]

As I understand the former Swiss Justice Minister, he believes governments have an affirmative duty to warn fugitives from justice that they will be arrested if they show up in public?

[Rosee]

Mr. Polanski was WELL AWARE of where he could go and where he couldn't...he's a pro at avoiding arrest...30+ years tells us that.

The comment by the former Swiss offical is ignorant and for all we know he may well be a friend of his.

I just hope he doesn't get bail or allowed to be on house arrest until he is extradicted!

[James Johnston]

I've driven into Switzerland (from France), taken the train into Switzerland (from Germany), and flown into Switzerland (from the Netherlands) It seems to me that there was always some sort of passport control - no big deal - but I thought the point was to give whomever was running the checkpoint the chance to run your name through the outstanding warrant list. If there has been an Interpol warrant since 2005 why hasn't Mr P been nabbed before this time? Traveling within the EU he wouldn't need to go through passport control - but Switzerland isn't in the EU

[Dave]

I'm missing the reason for the outrage. It is irrelevant whether the Swiss knew he was there previously or whether they botched or forewent a chance to arrest Polanski. So what if a government misses a chance to arrest a wanted person? This obviously creates no substantive right to be free from arrest pursuant to the warrant in the future. Our police miss opportunities to make warrant arrests all the time. That doesn't entitle the criminal to essentially have the warrant dropped. Why would the legal rule be any different for famous movie stars? The Times really needs to hire an attorney to write or consult on articles on legal matters. You regularly publish articles on legal topics, and you almost always egregiously misstate the applicable law to the point that as an attorney I find it painful to read your articles.

[Tom Storm]

Roman Polanski raped a child. Period. Plied her with champagne, quaaludes and shallow promises. She protested. Still he penetrated her. His action was wrong - in any circumstance. Celebrity outrage against his arrest is disgusting. One rule for them another for us? We are biologically, morally, ethically and legally obliged to protect all children - so where do Mr. Polanski's defenders draw their moral authority from? Oh. Because he made some good movies? Oh., his family were holocaust victims. Oh, his wife was murdered by a psychopath...so those events excuse HIS bestial behaviour?
Go to jail Mr. Polanski - you did the crime now do your time.

TS

[Bill]

Where is Inspector Clouseau when we need him?

[ColoradoRob]

Maybe they should've done what they do in cities here that have Pro Football and Baseball.Notified him he won Tickets to whatever is a Big Sporting in Switzerland and when he showed to get them slapped the cuffs on him. Was he and his lawyers that cavalier and arrogant they never even bothered to check to see if there still were any active warrants still out on him?

[Harry Parker]

Roman Polanski, this guy is a creep. He should go to jail for what he did to that young girl.Artist or not no one is above the law. He raped a 13 year old girl, sodmized her, knocked her out with booze and drugs, fled the US as a fugitive. The Hollywood comunity thinks Polanski is being percicuted? You people are a sick lot. That sickness is reflected by the lousey movies you make.

[Colombo]

Mr. Blocher isn't the justice minister anymore. The Swiss parliament didn't renew his mandate. His statement is not the official position of the federa council of Switzerland wich support the steps wich you already know. But he is right the organisators of the Zurich film festival did a mistake by inviting mr. Polansky. By the way why you blame Switzerland and not all the other counties, France on the first place or GB? Switzerland is a good country, shure it isn't perfect, but finally it is the first country in this affair wich respect the international treatys and arrest Mr.P., is that bad?

[lve]

While this case is just not something I want my tax dollars to go to it must be said that it is really crummy of Polanski to continue to dodge paying his dues. No 13 year old consents to anal sex knowingly, or has any real idea about what they are getting into with sex, especially with a middle aged man (and I have to add that her mother should have been charged for getting her in that position in the first place). He committed a crime, he refuses to be responsible (by the way Martha Stewart did the crime and her time and it's over now), and now they should throw the book at him. End of story.

[Baffled Observer]

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

You don't invite a young girl to visit you and then rape her. You simply don't do that.

[LEXUSRY]

I HOPE THE POLICE LOCK HIM UP FOR GOOD. THIS LOSER AHS NO SYMPATHY FOR ANYONE SUCH AS FAIL TO PAY HIS VICTIM THAT HE PROMISE YEARS AGO.

[dick]

Former Swiss Justice Minister Christof Blocher says "you don't invite someone when you know he's going o be arrested." But Polanski was invited by the Zurich Film Festival, not by the current Justice Minister. No matter what, as the current Minister says, they are duty-bound to fulfill the arrest as a treaty partner of the U.S.
Message for Polanski: come back and face the music !

[ms8411]

In Switzerland (as in the US), everyone is treated equally before the law with no exceptions. Therefore, Mr. Polanski was arrested in the course of a routine police operation conducted by two civilized nations. Anyway, since there are still many conspiracy theories out there, I think we should get the facts straight:

1. Switzerland does not routinley monitor the movement of foreigners within its borders, even if they own property (like a chalet) in the country. Also, the gov't agency handling the registration of property acquisitions by foreigners is usually not sharing data with other gov't agencies because of strict privacy laws (of course, one can argue whether this makes sense).

2. Switzerland, as any other country, is not actively looking for foreigners if they have not violated any Swiss laws even if an international arrest warrant exists, since there are 10,000s (!) of these warrants in effect every day. Put simply, there are not enough police officers in the country in order to accomplish that. Of course, why should there be made an exception in the case of Mr. Polanski?

3. However, if foreign authorities provide information about the whereabouts of wanted foreign criminals, the Swiss police will of course arrest these people if there is an according treaty. And this is exactly what happened in the case of Mr. Polanski.

4. Switzerland did not have a special political motive to curry favor with the US at all, since the political costs of this arrest are tremendous and offset any potential gains (and this was obvious from the beginning). As expected, Switzerland is now getting under pressure from France, other European nations as well as certain parts of the general European and American public.

[Jim.Steinman]

I'm a Swiss who grew up in L.A. and I have been living in both places, L.A. and Switzerland for decades. Mr. Polanski even pays taxes in Switzerland and has a car registered. So Switzerland knew exactly. At the Zuerich Film Festival Mr. Polanski was officially invited as star-guest and was supposed to receive an award. To arrest him like this is a crime too. For this, I'm ashamed to be a Swiss, even when Mr. Polanski committed a terrible crime. Do people ask for justice or revenge?

[BloggerDude]

1) Let's find a list of all his supporters and ask them if they'll let him babysit THEIR little loved ones unsupervised, 2) Let's boycott everything they are associated with...they've lost touch with humanity, 3) When we get his wrinkled butt back in the U.S. let's be sure to give him a cell mate who understands his appetites. There are two wrungs of justice here that await.

[Op]

How about, "you don't invite child molesters to your country".

Ya think. I can only hope Bubba gets a good hold of him when he enters prison.

[pissed off]

"You don't invite someone when you know he's going to be arrested," said Blocher. "You simply don't do that."

....So now we're warning criminals? No what you "simply don't do" is rape 13 year old girls THAT'S what you don't do!

[pissed off]

Seriously what is this world coming to when we defend scum like him?

[CHS]

Roman Polanski, the first white guy in the history of the Western world to be done wrong by the American justice system.

History in the making!

[ferenc]

hey christof,youwere a justice minister? they should arrest you for being st...

[ferenc]

could it be that hollywood(jews) are supporting polanski because he is a jew and thus has suffered already for every crime he has and will commit?

[K]

If people couldn't be invited someplace under false pretenses and then arrested, what would happen to all the reality cop shows on American television?

[ferenc]

are you ever gonna post the comments? or are you alsoprotecting polanski?

[AR]

'As my dad would say, it sounds like Switzerland is having "administrative problems." This is the dumbest, most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard from one nation. Too stupid to be believable!"

It seems that Switzerland was still outdone by one U.S. of A. who needed a mere 26 years to get an arrest warrant by Interpol going. So what's your excuse, Piotr? Couldn't find the time?

[Viktor Schwartz]

Because no outporings of OUTRAGE ARREST of long long time friend of Mr Polanski, I , Viktor ask you to join Official Free Polanski efforts on my name profile here is website.

May you soar with the Alpine Eagles!

[Marcia Twane]

There is a distinct lack of intelligence being expressed in the comments here and the salient point is being completely missed…this is NOT about a 76 year old man trying to get away with/from a 30 year old case…this IS about the failure of the justice system in this country:

The persecution of Roman Polanski exemplifies the corruption in the justice system of the United States…

From Samantha Geimer:

“We pressed charges, and he pleaded guilty. A plea bargain was agreed to by his lawyer, my lawyer and the district attorney, and it was approved by the judge. But to our amazement, at the last minute the judge went back on his word and refused to honor the deal.”

(Regardless of what you think about the charges being plead down, an agreement was made and approved by the judge. Then the judge went back on his word due to some very unsavory back room shenanigans. That was judicial misconduct.)

When something like this happens, our justice system ceases to be a “justice” system and becomes an unjust system. There is also a lot more to this than is included in this article.

Please see this piece written by Samantha Geimer from February of 2003:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/la-oe-samantha-geimer23-2003feb23,0,4716430.story

To all of you who are figuratively clamoring for Roman Polanski’s head, if you were in the same position, knowing all the nuances of what actually transpired (see the above statement from Samantha Geimer, etc.), you would do the same thing…

It is also very odd that the DA’s office has all of a sudden decided to pursue this now after more than 30 years. Polanski has traveled throughout Europe (and even owns a chalet in Switzerland). Why didn’t they go after him before? There are those who say that the current pursuit of Polanski is being used as a smokescreen to deflect attention away from the current failings of the DA’s office. There is truly something very wrong here.

Contact the DA’s office and let them know how you feel about them wasting the taxpayer’s dollars on this farce (when they should really be using their precious few resources to do the job they are elected/hired to do, like pursuing those issues that are currently harming all of us; the violence of the gangs of Los Angeles, the criminal behavior of executives of the credit card, bank and insurance companies, etc.):

District Attorney's Office
County of Los Angeles
210 West Temple Street, Suite 18000
Los Angeles, CA 90012-3210
Telephone (213) 974-3512
Fax (213) 974-1484
TTY (800) 457-7778
(8:30am - 5:00pm M-F)

(Please note that those of us who dare to defend Roman Polanski are not defending his actions in relation to the girl. We're defending the fact that he was treated atrociously (and incorrectly) by the American judicial system and it's time for this country to start keeping its own house in order before daring to criticize others.)

=========

This post (by JohnRJ08) from another article/column has excellent details about the legal proceedings and the judicial misconduct at the time:

I think there is a lot of anger about what Polanski did to Samantha Geimer, but there is also a lot of anger at how the criminal justice system in Los Angeles dysfunctioned during that case. While it's clear that Polanski committed a Class B felony, it is also clear that the Judge Rittenband was guilty of blatant judicial misconduct which caused Polanski to flee the country.

The idea that a judge would consult with a reporter about what Polanski's sentence should have been and that he would discuss the case in chambers with a non-participant attorney was bad enough. The fact that he publicly bragged that he planned to renege on the plea bargain he had formerly agreed to in chambers and put Polanski "in prison for the rest of his life" was gross misconduct.

If Rittenband hadn't committed this misconduct and honored the plea deal, Polanski would not have fled the country and this entire ordeal would be behind everybody, including the victim. Even the prosecuting attorney, Gunson, says he doesn't blame Polanski for fleeing under Rittenband's threat.

The Chino facility which did the psychological evaluation of Polanski at the Judge's request, recommended no jail time, and the District Attorney's office agreed to this because it was a "first offense Class B felony". The judge decided to ignore that recommendation because he was afraid that the press would criticize him for being soft on celebrities. Of course, it is the same exact sentence that any non-celebrity first-time offender would have received, so it was not a case of coddling a celebrity.

The bottom line is that the judge set the wheels in motion for this +30-year long controversy. According to state sentencing guidelines, a Class B felony committed by a first-time offender only calls for a sentence of probation and/or up to 2 years in County Jail. Polanski pled guilty and was fully prepared to accept whatever the psychological evaluation at Chino recommended. Rittenband, for highly questionable reasons, ignored all of those facts.

Posted by: JohnRJ08 | October 04, 2009 at 08:55 AM

[Ednonymous]

I suppose Blocher during his tenure as justice minister regularly warned criminals they would be arrested?