LOS ANGELES—Samantha Geimer, the woman film director Roman Polanski admitted raping when she was a teenager 40 years ago, pleaded for his case to be resolved on Friday, saying she had forgiven him years ago.
Making her first public appearance at a court hearing in the case, Geimer, who was 13 years old when Polanski assaulted her in Los Angeles in 1977, said she had wanted the criminal case against the film director closed for decades.
“I would implore you to consider taking action to finally put this issue to close as an act of mercy to myself and my family,” Geimer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon.
“Justice is not only about punishment. It’s about equity and consideration,” she said, reading from a prepared statement.
Polanski, now 83, admitted raping Geimer in 1977 and spent 42 days in pre-trial custody. He then fled the United States, fearing a plea bargain with prosecutors would be overruled and that he would get a lengthy prison term.
