A French woman accused Friday Roman Polanski of having raped her in 1975 in Switzerland when she was eighteen, in a testimony published by the newspaper Le Parisien a few days before the release of the filmmaker's new film, still under the shot of lawsuits from the American justice.
"An experience of extreme violence"
Valentine Monnier, whose charges add to those of other women in recent years, says she has not filed a complaint for these prescribed facts. But she claims to have decided to publicly bear this accusation because of the release in France of the film "J'accuse", which relates to a miscarriage of justice, the Dreyfus case. "I had no connection with him, no staff, no professional and hardly knew him", tells the Parisian this photographer, who was a model in New York and played in some movies in the 80s, as "Three men and a bassinet ".
"It was extremely violent, after a ski trip, in his chalet in Gstaad (Switzerland)." He hit me, beat me to my surrender and then raped me by doing all the vicissitudes, "he says. this daughter of Alsatian industrialists. The filmmaker's lawyer, Hervé Temime, tells the Parisian that Roman Polanski "strongly contests any accusation of rape" and observes that these alleged facts dating from 45 years ago "were never brought to the attention of the judicial authority ". Asked by AFP, the lawyer did not wish to make further comments in the immediate future.
Encouraged to speak by Weinstein scandal
Valentine Monnier says in this testimony to have told later tonight in the chalet of the director to his best friend, then to him who will become his boyfriend for four years. Both, joined by the Parisian , confirm his version. Since 2017, encouraged by the Weinstein scandal, Valentine Monnier also said to have told her story in letters to the Los Angeles police, to Brigitte Macron, Franck Riester and Marlène Schiappa.
The letter of the Secretary of State for Gender Equality, communicated to AFP by his cabinet and dated March 2018, commends the courage of Valentine Monnier Monnier "to have dared to break a silence of 42 years" . The minister "sympathizes" with her pain, while stressing that "the facts are prescribed for the French justice". It is a letter that is addressed to all women who write to him for support, and expressing unconditional support that is obvious, argues his cabinet.
Roman Polanski is still being prosecuted by the United States in the Minor Misappropriation Proceedings against him in 1977. He then pleaded guilty to embezzlement of a minor after engaging in illegal sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. . This single count was the result of an amicable agreement with the judge, after Polanski was initially charged with more serious charges, including the rape of a minor under the influence of narcotics.
Accused of rapes multiple times
Sentenced to 90 days in prison, he was released after 42 days. But the judge then felt the sentence was inadequate. Polanski had chosen to fly to France. He has since been under arrest warrant. He has since been targeted by other charges. In the middle of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, British actress Charlotte Lewis accused the director of "sexually abusing" her at 16 during a casting in 1983. A second woman, identified as "Robin" , accused her in August 2017 of sexual assault when she was 16, in 1973.
In September 2017, Renate Langer, a former actress, filed a new complaint for rape, claiming to have been assaulted in 1972 in Gstaad when she was 15 years old. Two months later, the Swiss courts declared these accusations prescribed. All these accusations are "unfounded", said the director's lawyer.