Film director Roman Polanski is scheduled to go on trial in Los Angeles in 2025 on charges of raping a teenager in 1973.
Gloria Allred, an attorney who represents victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby, confirmed at a press conference Tuesday that a judge had set Polanski’s trial for August 2025.
Polanski, 90, has been a fugitive from the United States for decades, ever since admitting to raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977 and fleeing to avoid sentencing. The director of “The Pianist” and “Rosemary’s Baby” is facing multiple charges. Sexual abuse. The Los Angeles trial comes as director Polanski is on trial in France on defamation charges for allegedly abusing a British actor.
Polanski is charged with rape, sexual assault and intentional infliction of great emotional distress in the case, which allegedly occurred in 1973.
On Tuesday, Mr. Allred appeared with a woman introduced as Jane Doe, who accused Mr. Polanski of raping her in 1973 when she was a minor. She met Mr. Polanski at a party, and a few months later he asked her out to dinner, Allred said. Although her suspect knew she was underage, he allegedly provided her with alcohol throughout the night and took her to her Los Angeles home.
She woke up in bed, where he told the teen he wanted to have sex, Allred said.
“The plaintiff told the defendant, ‘No,’ even though she was unconscious. She told him, ‘Don’t do that.’ She claims he ignored her pleas,” Allred said while reading her complaint. “She also alleged that Defendant Polanski removed Plaintiff’s clothing and sexually assaulted her, causing her great physical and emotional suffering.”
Polanski then drove her home, and she never saw him again, Allred said. Despite the allegations against Mr. Polanski, he has returned to his regular job, but his accuser says he has not been able to return to his regular job since the incident. the lawyer said.
“Our client, Jane Doe, showed great courage in filing a lawsuit against a famous film director who previously pleaded guilty to child sex crimes and subsequently fled to Europe to avoid sentencing.” Allred said, adding that California’s criminal justice system. failed to bring about a just result.
Mr. Doe, who first came forward with allegations against Mr. Polanski in 2017, filed suit last year under a change in California law that gives victims of child sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits against their abusers.
“It took me a really long time to decide to file this lawsuit against Mr. Polanski, but I finally made that decision and decided I wanted to file this lawsuit to get justice and accountability. I did,” Doe said.
Between 2017 and 2019, four women accused Polanski of sexual assault in the 1970s, including three who were minors at the time. They included artist Marianne Barnard, who claimed she was sexually assaulted by director Polanski. In 2010, she accused Polanski of sexually assaulting her in 1983 when she was 16 years old, but he denies all allegations.
Geimer, whose director Polanski pleaded guilty to rape last week. Asked An LA judge has asked the lawsuit against the director to be dismissed. She said Polanski regrets what happened. “As an act of mercy for me and my family, I ask that you please finally bring this to an end,” Geimer said.
