The Women’s Media Center (WMC) calls on the media to focus their coverage of Roman Polanski’s recent arrest where it belongs: on the crime he committed, the rape of a child. Originally indicted in 1977 on six felony counts, including rape and child molesting, Polanski and his attorneys reached a deal in which he pled guilty to having “unlawful sexual intercourse” with a 13 year old girl. He fled the country when it was reported that the judge in the case was going to give him more time than the 42 days served which had been agreed to in the plea bargain.
Because the Grand Jury minutes are unsealed and publicly available, there is ample information for anyone wishing to investigate the facts. Despite this, numerous mainstream media outlets have chosen to depict the Polanski case as somewhat unresolved, hinging on a “murky” issue of consent. These outlets represent the case as clouded by the victim’s forgiveness, prosecutorial misconduct, the family’s alleged opportunism, and other elements of the story which have no bearing on the key fact that the case is about the rape of a child.
Too often, the media is complicit in misrepresenting or silencing the victims of sexual assault. The Women’s Media Center calls on the media to report the unfolding story of the Polanski arrest and possible extradition with clarity and specificity. The rape of a child is at the heart of the case. That is not disputed, and should not be represented as subjective.
Carol Jenkins,
President, Women’s Media Center
**This statement is endorsed and supported by the members of Women, Action and The Media**
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22 Comments
Well, here in Australia, the coverage has focussed from the outset exactly where it should – on the crime. And charting global coverage, it is overall swinging that way too. The response of the “elites” is dismaying and baffling really. As for Whoopi Goldberg???? ( “Not rape-rape …”) I guess she already regrets allowing some peer group impulse to overwhelm her feminism and better judgement.
Here is an interesting blog post on the Polanski’s affair, with some unknown so far responses from the Polish media:
http://nowherethemiddle.blogspot.com/2009/10/sex-fame-and-polish-but-not-only.html
The Wall St. Journal, of all places, published an Op Ed piece on Friday Oct. 2 detailing the disconnect between art and life: many of the film directors who signed the petition supporting Polanski have portrayed rape as the violent, horrible crime it is, in their films. Yet in real life…they forgive and forget?
Woody Allen is supporting him…………………….Kind of like Ted Bundy supporting Richard Speck……..
I am outraged and disgusted by the Hollywood response to the Polanski case. US women think that we are “equal” and have rights but in reality, we are pawns of our own inability to act as a group when facing the disapproving glare or eye rolling, “ugh, feminist bs” from our male colleagues or family or mates. Thirty years ago women were in a worse position then we are now but let’s look at the levels of disgust:
Angelica Huston was there, she couldn’t tell that the girl was 13?
Roman Polanski couldn’t tell that she was 13?
How many young slaves of Moldova or Romania that are 13 in brothels throughout Europe do you think that Polanski has had sex with in the past 30 years?
Protecting Polanski on any level is a slap in the face of women and children’s NGO’s. Hollywood leads the pack when it comes to dehumanizing women as playthings for male sexual desire as well as believing that they are above the law. Women need to stand up for themselves in this country and the Polanski case is a pivotal moment in the right’s issue. If he were Mexican or Black he would have spent 20 years in the Big Q.
Rape culture is dominant in the US society. We cannot fool ourselves that women in the US do not see men as the victims of female seduction, even if the female is 13. And the media plays a healthy hand in taking the Poor poor Polanski side. The number one comment to me during my stint at the UN Human Trafficking NGO was, “aren’t all women prostitutes?” And this came from liberal white men. It’s as if the media is tiptoeing around him, like they will be kicked off the proverbial red carpet and not allowed access to ICM’s other talent.
What is wrong with these people supporting this sick man. Sham on them. The victim wants it to all go away. Stop bringing up her name. If it was any one else they would have been in jail.
I have no feelings of remorse for him whatsoever. Yes, he’s had a few traumatic experiences in his life but over all he has lived a good life.
I’ve been shocked at the “names” supposedly supporting Polanski. Some of which I have been a fan of for many years. Because of their current stand I have made a personal decision not to support these authors by spending money to watch their movies.
Thank you so much for this statement. It is marked contrast to the statement made by Peg Yorkin, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation as reported by the LA TImes
,”My personal thoughts are let the guy go,” said Peg Yorkin, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “It’s bad a person was raped. But that was so many years ago. The guy has been through so much in his life. It’s crazy to arrest him now. Let it go. The government could spend its money on other things.”
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-polanski1-2009oct01,0,1755914.story
I wrote them an email and called to express my outrage at a feminist having the audacity to utter such a casual dismissal of the situation. I was told the person who would handle such calls was “in a meeting” and would get back to me.
I’m still waiting and while I do spreading the word about the betrayal of the Feminist Majority Foundation in their loyalty to the very industry that continues to sexually objectify and abuse women.
Once again, there’s a double standard for celebrities. It’s disgusting that people (and even some women I know) are overlooking the horrible crime Polanski committed on a young girl. The traumatic events he experienced in his life are no excuse for his violent behavior.
Thanks to WMC for being here to support women.
I’m appalled by the media “forgiveness” of Polanski. The man is a sex offender. Doesn’t matter how long ago it happened, or if the victim forgives him.
Thank you. It is hard with all the media noise to sort through this and you made it very succinct and clear and “allowed” me to let myself believe what you wrote above, despite the media’s cries to let this go….
Not only did Polanski get away with a hideously contrived sentence, he then committed a felony when he fled the country to escape justice.
EVEN IF the court system abides by the originally-agreed sentence, he should still spend a minimum of five years in prison for the flight.
I was the foreman of a Federal Grand Jury for two years; it is incredible to see the actual “lack of justice” in some of these plea agreements. Anyone privy to the testimony for this case would join me in wanting to see Polanski take a long walk off of a short cliff, with a noose firmly attached to the top of the cliff. He ENJOYED diddling little girls, and you know that there were many more victims that we’ll never know about.
The rape of a 13-year old girl is not a joke and the perpetrator should be prosecuted in a court of law.
I am relieved to see that much of the thinking world supports my belief regarding the crime Roman Polanski inflicted on a 13 year old CHILD. I have been regarded as provincial and unsophisticated because I believe and have maintained that Mr. Polanski is as much a pedophile as the next animal that forces themselves on children. Many individuals suffer terrible trauma in their lives without resorting to sexually abusing children. I question whether this episode was the first or last time that Mr. Polanski sexually assaulted a child. I have refused to support his art and will continue to do so as our society withdraws support from convicted pedophiles.
I am appalled that so many in the film industry continue to rally and support this man. Would they be so quick to come to his defense if it was their 13 year old daughter who had had to defend herself and ultimately be sexually overwhelmed by Mr. Polanski? As one interviewee has said, “Even pedophiles can be rich and talented.” The lack of good judgement by a number of celebrities makes me question their validity as spokespeople for their industry. It is difficult to confer on them the respect they deny the “common” populace. The ability to act does not elevate one above the rest of society or release one from the laws and general decency expected of and from that society. By excusing Mr. Polanski’s actions, I can’t help but wonder about the character and integrity of these celebrities.
No means no, rape is rape and a 13 year old is a child whether she says no or not.
Excellent statement and it seems that the original push on Polanski’s behalf is fading fast in light of the reaction of people who don’t idolize famous figures.
Bravo pour votre opposition à toute impunité de quelque violeur que ce soit et quelque soit l’âge des victimes ! Pire, lorsqu’on le fait en profitant de sa notoriété, de son autorité et c’est encore plus intolérable si la/les victimes sont des mineures ! Sachez que pour en avoir subi plusieurs viols durant des années et à compter de l’âge de 6 ans … Pardonner ? On a beau être un humaniste, c’est si dur… I’m still oftenly crying even it appears to so many that I have succeeded as a reporter handicaped by a recent moral rape that causes heart fealure on ‘The International Women’s Day’, the 8 of March 2004, because I was and I’am still defending the liberation of ‘The Lady of Rangoon’, Aung San SUU KYI, The 1991 Nobel Prize for Peace, still not free… pierre gauvin-évrard
The FMF are a disgrace for uttering such sexist and dismissive comments over this case, think they must inhabit a parallel universe to the real feminists and those who abhor the sexual abuse of girls and woman. Thank goodness that the WMC are robust in their defense of the survivor and demand that the media stop grossing out on lies and represent the facts that are fully available in the public domain.
It matters not when this man committed his vile sexual abuse of a child, he should be punished and shame on the Hollywood loveeeees who have fallen over their sad selves to defend the indefensible…..how can anyone come to the support of such a cowardly man, it does not take a genius to work out that he is on his own admission guilty of a nasty vile crime and one wonders how many other girls and woman have been abused by this man over the past thirty odd years……the sooner he does time the better…
Polanski committed a serious crime. It is sinful how the Media and some people in Hollywood are trying to dismiss his actions just because it was so long ago. This is the 21st century and we cannot tolerate any female being raped or abused anywhere in the WORLD!!!
I forgot, re: the notorious rapist Roman Polanski : ‘The weak cannot forgive, Only the strong can.’, Gandhi. Yesterday, October 3, it was the 140 anniversary of the pacifist Mahatma Gandhi, bornt in 1869. And by the way, we are in the period of the distribution of The Nobel Prizes, and since 1901, 733 men received it against 33 women. pge
It has amazed me to watch this unfold. Out of the gate there was a gasp from Polanski’s supporters and then the rally cry. Next it felt as if media and Hollywood were looking for all sorts of reasons to back this “film genius” despite the crime committed. Still there seemed a silence from those that I would have thought should have been the first voices to put it in perspective. It felt like some people had to think about it first before picking a side.
Roman Polanski’s arrest is a mirror, and what we have seen is a reflection of our society. It was not pretty for me to see that many people still believe that rape comes with a whole bunch of victim bashing, questioning the relevance of the arrest and a willingness to sweep it under the rug because of fame and time passage.
I blogged about this case at jenniferchandler.com; having worked in the past with victims of sexual assault and child sexual assault, I had strong feelings. A colleague of mine responded to my post, informing readers that she had worked with Roman’s former mother-in-law Doris Tate on the Rape Shield Laws with the focus on victims rights. How ironic? Maybe our advancement is not as great as we would like to think it is. Nobody should have been defending Polanski, he is a child rapist and that is all there is to it. The media and Hollywood’s response was appalling, indeed.
Rape is Rape.
Thank you WMC for not allowing this topic to be steered in another direction by the Hollywood Set.
Thank you WMC for putting the focus where it rightly belongs with the criminal actions of rapist Polanski.
The media however, is dominated by white male liberals intent on minimalising/justifying and denying the crimes committed by Polanski. Rape is rape is rape – irrespective whether the rapist was convicted yesterday or decades ago.
Polanski wrongly thought he had escaped serving his sentence by fleeing the US but he was mistaken. Now he is attempting to use his power and influence in order to escape punishment.
Would a man convicted of child rape but who is only an ordinary worker be given the same justifications and excuses the media has consistently given Polanski? No it would not happen.
If Polanski succeeds in not being extradicted this sends a message to all potential male rapists, namely that male sexual violence against women and children is a matter of degree wherein if you have a very powerful societal position you will not be punished for your crimes but allowed to live a very pleasant life.