Roman Polanski, the famed director who admitted to sexually abusing a child in 1977, is about to be honored by the entertainment industry.
Again.
Polanski earned a standing ovation when he won a Best Director Oscar back in 2003. This time, he’s due to receive an honor during next month’s Locarno Film Festival.
Enough is enough, say some survivors of sexual abuse. Last week, people representing victims of domestic violence and human trafficking gathered to ask Hollywood to “disown” the auteur as a way of speaking out on abuse issues, according to FoxNews.com. They spoke in connection with today’s inaugural United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons event.
Survivors said the industry was hurting the cause by providing a platform for Polanski, who was arrested in 1977 and charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor and fled the country while out on bail and awaiting sentencing. Now 80, he resides in Paris, where he was born.
“It is soul crushing to see Roman Polanski – who was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl – living a life of luxury in Europe and escaping his prison sentence on a technicality of dual citizenship,” Amy Malin, an L.A-based publicist and founder of Trueheart Events, told FOX411.
“It makes me sick to think that after he sexually assaulted a minor, his film (2002’s “The Pianist”) won three Oscars and he has worked with A-list talent on big budget films steadily ever since,” Malin said.
Sex trafficking survivor Rani Hong said Hollywood isn’t using its power to protect “those who cannot speak.”
There is no other platform capable of reaching as many people globally that has the power to educate, motivate and also potentially bring harm to so many people by its ability to influence perceptions and proper treatment of women,” said Hong.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.