Roman Polanski at the Cannes Film Festival in May
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Swiss prosecutors say they are ending an investigation of Polish-French film director Roman Polanski over allegations by a German woman that he raped her when she was a teenager 45 years ago.
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swissinfo.ch and agencies, swissinfo.ch and agencies/ts
Prosecutors in Bern said on Wednesday that the statute of limitations for the alleged crime of sexual actions with children had long since expired.
The 61-year-old plaintiff filed a criminal complaint in September alleging that the now 84-year-old Polanski had raped her at his chalet in Gstaad, canton Bern, in 1972. The statute of limitations was 15 years at the time.
The plaintiff was the fourth woman to publicly accuse Polanksi of rape. She decided to approach police because of another case that came to light in Los Angeles last August, according to a report in the New York Times.
Polanski has so far only admitted to sexual intercourse with a minor as part of a plea bargain in 1977 in the United States.
In 2009, Polanski was detained in Switzerland following a warrant by the US justice authorities to extradite him. He was put under house arrest for ten months before he was released.
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Swiss investigate new Polanski rape charge
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A spokesman confirmed that a German-born actress and model filed a complaint last month, alleging that Polanksi assaulted her in the Swiss mountain resort of Gstaad in 1972. It is not clear if criminal charges will be filed. This is the fourth woman to publicly accuse Polanksi of rape. She decided to approach police because…
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French-Polish director Roman Polanski, wanted by the US for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, will not attend the Locarno Film Festival.
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The 76-year-old director will remain there until officials decide whether to extradite him to the United States,where he is wanted for sentencing in a case of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski was picked up under an international arrest warrant on September 26 as he arrived in Zurich to be honoured at…
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As the news spread, those in the legal and entertainment industries were quick to voice opinions. Readers have also been keen to put their two cents’ worth in. “Shock: The Swiss set Polanski free” was the headline on Time magazine’s website, saying that the decision practically guarantees that the 76-year-old director will be able to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.