Polanski’s victim asks judge to end case
LOS ANGELES — Roman Polanski’s sexual assault victim asked a judge Friday to end the 40-year-old case against the fugitive director, but there was no indication her plea would bring an end to the lengthy court saga.
Samantha Geimer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon that she wanted the case to end, either with an outright dismissal or by the judge sentencing Polanski without him being present. Polanski’s repeated requests for the same rulings have been denied.
Gordon said he would take Geimer’s comments into consideration and did not issue an immediate ruling.
“I’m standing here saying he’s served his sentence,” Geimer said after the hearing. “He owes me nothing. He owes the state of California nothing except to show up here eventually. I wish he could show up and feel he could be treated fairly, but I don’t know if that will ever happen.”
She described herself as more of a victim of the criminal justice system than of Polanski.
Geimer said she had been insulted over the years and hounded by the news media. She said the original judge in the case asked if she was part of a mother-daughter prostitution team and the former district attorney suggested she had been bought and paid for and others said she was a gold digger.
“The trauma of the ordeal that followed was so great that, you know, the brief encounter with him that evening that was unpleasant just faded and paled,” she said. “We were just trying to survive as a family and get through something we didn’t understand that was going to happen.”
Geimer said before she addressed the court that she was terrified, but felt compelled to tell Gordon her thoughts on the case.
“This may be my last chance,” she said. “I finally will get to stand before a judge and say how I feel so I thought I should take it.”