We know he penetrated her. We know at the time she had been drinking. We know he didn't use physical force to do any of these things.
That's all we know.
If Franta can discredit her comments that she's forgiven him and that he shouldn't be denied his awards, then I can discredit her comments on exactly what happened that day.
The legal system is not perfect. There is no truth-meter that can detect whether or not people are telling the truth about certain events. We have to decide these things with our imperfect human reason. Reason that, whether we like it or not, can be swayed by emotion.
A lawyer tells a little girl to say that a man forced her to rape him, maybe even convinces her for the time being that that's what he did. Why does the lawyer do this? Because he knows that if that little girl gets up there and says that convincingly(and most of the time the girl won't know any better, it's not her fault), there isn't a jury or judge in the universe that's going to let off that rapist lightly. Boom. There's your conviction, there's your compensation. If he wasn't already, that lawyer is now rich, and so is the family of the little girl.
I'm not saying that that's what happened. But stuff like that happens. A lot. It's sad, but it's reality. There are so many cases of it, it's sickening. And it's stuff like that that makes me very, very, very hesistant to take what "he said/she said" as absolute truth.
That's why I'm not going to judge Roman Polanski. Or anybody. Is he a criminal? Absolutely. Without question. Are all criminals evil people? Are all statutory rapists evil people?
Kevin Gillson was convicted of statutory rape back in 1997 for having consentual sex with his 16 year old girl friend. He was 18 at the time, and said he intended to marry her. Regardless, he paid a fine, spent time in jail, and where-ever he decides to live for the rest of his life, he'll have to register with the local police as a sex offender.
quote:whether this means anything to you or not, your posts here have honestly made me think less of you.
I'm sorry to hear that, Rob. I respect you and your opinion(infact, I think you're a pretty cool guy most of the time), and I wouldn't want you to think less of me, or be offended by what I'm saying. However, I've stated my case as clearly as I feel possible, and I stand by it.
Please know that I do feel great sympathy for what all these people have gone through, emotionally, mentally and physically. It's not an easy thing to have your life put on display. I wouldn't wish any of these things on anyone, not even those I disliked immensely.
