Following up;

In the Los Angeles Times:

In Roman Polanski case, is it Hollywood vs. Middle America?

Some of the industry's most prominent women said they believe Polanski, who faces a sentence as low as probation and as high as 16 months in prison for pleading guilty to having sex with a minor, should be freed. "My personal thoughts are let the guy go," said Peg Yorkin, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation. "It's bad a person was raped. But that was so many years ago. The guy has been through so much in his life. It's crazy to arrest him now. Let it go. The government could spend its money on other things."

Press release from the Feminist Majority Foundation:

Statement of Eleanor Smeal President, Feminist Majority Foundation On the Arrest of Roman Polanski

The Feminist Majority Foundation joins our sister feminist organizations in working to ensure rape is prosecuted as the heinous crime that it is, especially against girls. The Feminist Majority Foundation is a leader in the fight to end all forms of violence against women and is demanding the expeditious processing of all back-logged rape kits in the possession of law enforcement authorities so that perpetrators can be brought to justice. The Feminist Majority Foundation believes Roman Polanski should be extradited to the United States to face the consequences of his conviction for raping a 13-year old girl in 1977. No one is above the law. The chair of our board, Peg Yorkin, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times yesterday providing her personal opinion on the matter of Polanski's arrest, but wants to make clear she condemns rape. Her statement on Polanski's arrest, however, does not reflect the position of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

posted by Quiddity at 10/02/2009 08:05:00 PM