When I saw the petition protesting the recent arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland was signed by some of my most cherished artists -- the likes of Pedro Almodovar, Ariel Dorfman, Costa Gavras, Jonathan Demme, Sam Mendes -- men who I believed to be champions of women's and human rights, frankly, I was shocked. It made it distressingly clear to me that all our years of work have not yet penetrated or changed the culture so that it understands that rape is a legal crime and a crime against the soul. As a survivor, I can attest to the fact that rape forever changes your life, robbing you of dignity, self-worth, agency over your body, and comfortability with intimacy and trust, while also escalating a pervasive sense of isolation and shame.
After 11 years of traveling the world and meeting with rape survivors across the planet I can say that the long-term consequences are multiple and far-reaching, ranging from homelessness, drug abuse, and eating disorders, to imprisonment, suicide, and early death.
The petition defending Polanski doesn't even address his crime. Instead, it calls it a "case of morals." That expression -- a "case of morals" -- takes the anti-violence movement back about a hundred years. Rape is not a question of morals. In fact it's not even a question.
Let's review the facts:
1. A 13-year-old girl is lured to a house by promise of a job by a famous and powerful director.
2. She finds herself in a hot tub.
3. She has an asthma attack.
4. The director says he will help relieve her asthma attack and offers her (unbeknownst to her) half a Quaalude as a remedy.
5. Once the Quaalude takes effect and the girl is sufficiently pliant, he rapes and sodomizes her without consent.
6. When charges are pressed, the director later pleads guilty to "engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor."
7. After spending 42 days in prison, the director flees the United States to avoid the threat of further imprisonment.
What about this clear-cut case isn't criminal? Does Roman Polanski's undeniable brilliance as a filmmaker somehow not make him a rapist? Does his talent give license to violence? Does the brotherhood of fame endow you with a lifetime exemption from accountability?
No one is arguing the genius of Roman Polanski, or even the pain and tragedy of his difficult life. But in the end, that has nothing to do with the crime he committed. Being an artist does not make any of us exempt from the laws of humanity -- in fact, it actually makes us more responsible to them.
Eve Ensler is the author of "The Vagina Monologues" and the Founder of V-Day, the worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls.
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But in any case, I seem to remember that the Vagina Monologues has a monologue that glorifies the statutory rape of a 13-year-ol
He skipped out of the country and should face the music by being brought back to the United States and the legal system should deal with him as the criminal he is. As far as him having had a rough life, that is tough it doesn't give him the right to make life tougher for a 13 year old girl.
It makes me want to puke....
You might then want to ask yourself about your own favoring? Is your outrage of more value than the victim's wishes?
Thirty years of conservati
But in this case, the victim HAS stated that she wishes the case dismissed because she wants to move on. It may not be your or my decision, but this is her stated wish.
Sure, Polanski made a big mistake here, but the so-called American justice system demonstrat
And what the DA supposedly wants to do now is irrelevant
Jeez the whole dang country blasted the Catholic Church over all the priest scandals. But if you are a creative genious, that's okay. And I am by no means sticking up for the priests involved. But I bet those defending Polanski would be horrified at the idea of a priest and a 13 year old boy.
-fairness of the american justice system
-if similarly other countries wanted to arrest american citizens (like a criminal corporate manager or army personel, or say, Dick Cheney), how would the usa react (bhopal disaster anyone? Warren Anderson, does that ring a bell?)
-Why don't the usa ratify the Internatio
-in general, what good does jail time make to the victim after 30 yrs. Blind repression system vs system that tries to reach a better society, and help both the victim and the criminal.
-How many people involved in racist crimes before the civil rights have been and are punished?
In this case, I wonder why the United States' abhorment of a 40 year old man's forced sexual intercours
Is that your point?
-the mob mentality here in the US is disturbing
-the fact that this affair takes so much space and the same points are always raised maybe show american obsession with sex / hollywood
-punishmen
-cases like this could generate many discussion about justice in general, all it does sadly is people vociferati
She faked the asthma attack hoping he would leave her alone and take her home... The qualude was given before she went into the hot tub.... She knew it was a qualude and had taken them a couple of times before...
I am not sure where you got your facts but they are not accurate to her testimony.
There is one fact people seem to be glossing over in my opinion and that is the "fact" he was also engaged in taking nude photo's of a 13 year old girl he had drugged...
This is what petition states. This is what people who signed it support. To suggest that artists who signed it support rape is disingenuo
Additional important issue raised in the petition by internatio
How about an dissident artist from Iran? Will someone will be able to deport him/her back for trial on some botched 30 y.o.case?
I suggest Ms. Ensler reads the petition again.
And how exactually is raping a 13 year old a "morality" case? In France, is it okay to rape tweens?
There is nothing moral about forcibly having sex with a 13 year old child. Nor is there anything moral about getting lucky and being able to plead to the mere charge of 'unlawful sex with a minor'. Nor is there anything moral about running away from the consequenc
But unfortunat
When you read the transcript
I hope that the brotherhoo
What floors me are the celebritie
However, as a rape survivor myself I need to question this statement that you made:
"As a survivor, I can attest to the fact that rape forever changes your life, robbing you of dignity, self-worth
Being raped was a horrifying thing. However, it did not rob me of my dignity - rather, made clear to me that the violent actions of others are a reflection of them, not me. It did not rob me of intimacy and trust, rather showed me the true value, power of it. Nor do I feel shame.
I ask you to remember that there is no unilateral voice of "the rape survivor."
Polanski, and everyone else who signed the petition, should be feeling shame.
And why is Polanski the center of so much attention after 32 years?
And Ensler, if you really want to go out on a limb regarding rape, maybe you might start with the thousands of boys raped by Catholic priests. Priests that are still at large.
Many people support the man, and I understand why. Several are repelled by his actions, and I also comprehend their position.
In the end perhaps the question ought to be: How should the scales of justice weigh this man's offense (as well as its circumstan
A person's life work should contribute something more than artistic entertainm
Or did he just make good movies?
The rapist's act is one of power over the victim, it is never one of sexual desire. Polanski is a RAPIST and he should be dealt with as such.