Woman Says Roman Polanski ‘Victimized’ Her in 1973

LOS ANGELES (CN) – Another woman came forward Tuesday claiming that fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski “sexually victimized” her in Southern California when she was 16 years old.

Civil rights attorney Gloria Allred introduced the alleged victim, Robin, at a morning press conference at Allred’s offices in Los Angeles. The 59-year-old woman says she was victimized in 1973 when she was 16 years old. She declined to give her last name or disclose any details about the incident, or her relationship to the film director.

Robin is the second woman to speak out after Polanski pleaded guilty 40 years ago to having sex -with 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, now Samantha Geimer.

In a brief statement in Allred’s office, Robin said she felt compelled to contact law enforcement after Geimer urged Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon to drop the charges against the director.

“This infuriated me. I am speaking out now so that Samantha and the world will know that she is not the only minor Roman Polanski victimized,” she said.

Allred said Robin is willing to testify if Polanski's case goes to trial.

“Any other defendant who is not rich and famous would be required to be present for a sentencing proceeding on a conviction for a felony committed against a child,” Allred said. “An exception should not be made for a Hollywood film director, and it would be wrong for the court to appear to give special treatment to Mr. Polanski.”

Prosecutors said the then-43-year-old filmmaker plied Geimer, then 13, with champagne, gave her part of a Quaalude pill at actor Jack Nicholson’s Mulholland Drive residence during a fashion shoot, and then raped her. Nicholson’s girlfriend at the time, actress Anjelica Huston, was at the residence during the incident.

In March 1977, Polanski faced five charges including rape by use of drugs and sodomy. He pleaded not guilty before agreeing to plead guilty to unlawful sex with a minor.

A judge sentenced the “Rosemary's Baby” and “Chinatown” director to 42 days in state prison, but he fled to England and later Paris. He feared Presiding Judge Laurence Rittenband would bow to media and prosecutorial pressure and punish him with a more severe sentence before having him deported.

Seven years ago, British actress Charlotte Lewis claimed that the filmmaker had sexually assaulted her when she was 16 before production on the movie the “Pirates.” Allred also represented Lewis, who said the alleged assault happened at Polanski's Paris apartment.

Polanski is still the subject of an international arrest warrant.

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