Roman Polanski Accused Of “Extremely Violent” Rape Of A French Actress In 1975 When She Was 18

You know, that Roman Polanski guy may not be a nice guy after all. The Oscar-winning director who fled to France instead of facing up to the sentence on a charge of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, charges which he had pleaded guilty to, is now facing more accusations. French actress Valentine Monnier accused Polanski of raping her at a ski chalet in Switzerland in 1975, when the actress was 18.

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The report was published Friday by French newspaper Le Parisien (via IndieWire), in which Monnier said that the director violently raped her. The newspaper also reported that it spoke with several people who corroborated the story, saying Monnier told them of the incident shortly afterward.

“Rape is a time bomb,” the actress told Le Parisien. “The memory does not fade. It becomes a ghost and it follows you, and it changes you insidiously.”

Polanski is not facing any sort of consequence over these accusations in France since the country has a 20-year statute of limitations. The director has been living in exile in France since fleeing the U.S. in 1978. The 86-year-old has somehow avoided numerous efforts to have him extradited. He was expelled from the Motion Picture Academy in 2018.

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“I denounce this crime knowing that there can’t be any punishment, in an attempt to end exceptions, impunity. Public figures are being considered as models. By idolizing the guilty ones, we prevent people from realizing the serious consequences of their acts,” added Monnier. She told Le Parisien that she didn’t know the director personally when she agreed to go skiing at his chalet with a group of friends in 1975. When Polanski invited her to his room after dinner, he attacked her, hit her and ripped off her clothes before proceeding to rape her, she claims. Monnier said the incident was “extremely violent,” and added: “He pummelled me until I gave in and then raped me, making me do all sorts of things,” Monnier said.

Monnier said she decided to finally come forward with the accusations as Polanskiæs new film “J’Accuse” (“An Officer and a Spy”) is due to be released in France next week. The selection of Romanski’s film at the Venice film festival and its subsequent win sparked a backlash.