Roman Polanski’s rape victim is urging the court to drop the 40-year-old’s case

Samantha Geimer, who was raped by director Roman Polanski at the age of 13, asked a judge on Friday to clarify the 40-year-old’s case.

“I would like to implore you to finally bring this to an end as an act of mercy towards myself and my family,” Geimer told LA Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon. “We are human beings, not victories and defeats.”

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Polanski pleaded guilty to raping Geimer in 1978 but fled the country before sentencing. Since then, he has been living abroad as a refugee and is now trying to resolve the case so that he can travel without fear of arrest.

In April, Gordon rejected Polanski’s latest attempt to stand trial in absentia, ruling that Polanski must first return to the United States and submit to jurisdiction before the case can be resolved. Polanski has already tried unsuccessfully to dismiss the lawsuit several times.

Geimer said this was the first time in the long history of the case that she was allowed to speak in court. Over the years, she has repeatedly expressed a desire for the case to end, saying that the media frenzy was worse than the rape.

“He was arrested. I knew he was sorry the next day,” she said after the hearing. “I was sure he immediately regretted what he had done and wished it hadn’t happened. It just wasn’t as traumatic for me as everyone would like to believe. I was a young, sexually active teenager and it was scary, but not uncommon. I understand that much worse things have happened to people. So I just wasn’t as traumatized as everyone thinks I should have been.”

Geimer also opposed the idea that Polanski was a pedophile.

“I was almost 14,” she said. “I wasn’t 10.”

Geimer said she felt her own feelings about the case didn’t matter to the court.

“Everyone has the right to their opinion,” she said. “I’ve been there. I’m fine. I don’t think I should be forced to reveal my feelings and have a pity party for myself just to entertain people, and I won’t do that. I’m fine. “

In court, Gordon thanked Geimer for her appearance and praised her courage as a survivor of sexual assault.

“Closure is something you deserve,” he said. “There is one person who clearly holds the key to this degree. Mr. Polanski made the decisions he made.”

Polanski’s attorney, Harland Braun, is demanding the release of a sealed transcript of former prosecutor Roger Gunson’s testimony, which he says will show Polanski was mistreated by the court in 1979.

Gordon seemed frustrated with Braun and repeatedly advised him not to bring up issues that had already been decided. At one point, Braun said he “did everything I could to solve this case.”

“Well, with one exception,” Gordon replied, suggesting Polanski do what young men and women “do every day in this court” and show up for sentencing.

When Braun suggested that the LA Superior Court judges had committed behind-the-scenes misconduct against Polanski, Gordon was visibly irritated.

“He was angry with me,” Braun said in court. “I think he was about to make a move on me and changed his mind…Judge Gordon is like any other judge. They’re trying to cover for the other judges.”

Gordon said he would issue a written decision about releasing the Gunson transcript.

Here is the prepared text of Geimer’s statement to the judge.

Testimony of Samantha Geimer at the Polanski hearing September 6, 2017 by gmaddaus on Scribd

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