A French court docket clears director Roman Polanski of defaming a British actor
PARIS — PARIS (AP) —
A French court docket acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski Tuesday of defaming a British actor whom he described as a liar after she accused him of sexual assault. The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match journal, the place Polanski allegedly referred to as Charlotte Lewis a liar following her accusations.
The court docket’s ruling didn’t tackle the reality of the rape allegation however centered solely on whether or not Polanski’s feedback within the interview constituted defamation in opposition to Lewis. Polanski denied the costs.
The decision was delivered Tuesday afternoon in a Paris court docket.
Lewis mentioned she felt let down by the decision and would attraction.
“I really feel unhappy,” she mentioned. “For us, it is not over.”
Polanski was not in court docket. His lawyer Delphine Meillet referred to as him to announce the information. She mentioned the court docket acknowledged his proper to problem individuals who make accusations in opposition to him. She famous that the decision got here on the opening day of the Cannes Movie Competition, calling it “a symbolic day.”
“It is a victory for the rights of the protection,” the lawyer mentioned.
On the coronary heart of the accusations was that Polanski rebutted Lewis’s allegations of sexual assault within the 2019 interview with Paris Match, describing them as a “heinous lie.” Lewis had contended the remarks have been defamatory, launching a authorized battle in opposition to the 90-year-old director, identified for classics similar to “Rosemary’s Child,” “Chinatown,” and “The Pianist.”
Lewis, who first made her allegations public in 2010, claimed Polanski “sexually abused me within the worst doable means after I was simply 16 years outdated,” referring to an incident in 1983 in Paris throughout a casting session for his movie “Pirates.”
The filmmaker has confronted a number of different accusations of sexual assault that allegedly occurred over a number of many years, together with a notable case from 1977 the place he was charged with the rape of a 13-year-old in america. He pleaded responsible however fled to Europe in 1978 earlier than sentencing may happen.
