Photo Gallery The Polanski Case
On Monday, the Swiss Justice Ministry announced that it would not be complying with an extradition order from the US for Roman Polanski.
In 1977 the Polish-born film director, who is a French citizen, allegedly had sex with an under-age girl in Los Angeles. He was arrested on six charges including rape and sodomy but, following a plea bargain, was sentenced to 90 days of psychiatric evaluation. He served 42 days.
Samantha Geimer in 1997. Polanski was convicted of unlawful sex with her when she was just 13.
Roman Polanski (r.) leaves Santa Monica Superior Court in 1977 with his attorney after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.
British actress Charlotte Lewis has also claimed she was sexually abused by Polanski in Paris when she was 16, even before she appeared in one of his movies.
Polanski, Lewis and French actor Cris Campion in Cannes in 1986.
The chalet in Gstaad where Polanski spent the last eight months under house arrest. Once the Swiss declined the extradition request, he left in a hurry.
A Polanski fan at a Zurich film festival: Polanski has always maintained that he fled the US because despite being promised a shorter sentence -- most likely, a total of 90 days -- by the presiding judge, he then heard that he might get a longer sentence.
The Swiss decision not to extradite centered on sealed documents that the US refused to turn over to Switzerland.
Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf at the press conference announcing the decision to free Polanski.
Polanski's victim, Samantha Geimer in 2008. A statement from the Swiss Justice Ministry suggested that there was reason to suppose that the sealed documents may have supported claims by Polanski's defense attorney that he had already served his sentence in full.
Polanski and his partner Emmanuelle Seigner live in France with their children.
While the French foreign minister expressed delight and relief at the Swiss decision not to extradite, the Los Angeles district attorney prosecuting the case said he was "deeply disappointed."
