A HIGH-profile rush to defend Roman Polanski after the film director's arrest sparked a backlash today, as a growing number of politicians called for him to face justice over a three-decade-old child sex case.

Details of Polanski's detention also emerged, with a Swiss newspaper saying he was being held in a rudimentary cell in Zurich, receiving five Swiss francs ($5.57) in pocket money daily and tracksuits to wear.

The world's cultural elite and some prominent European politicians had rushed to back the Franco-Polish filmmaker after he was arrested on Saturday on his arrival in Zurich to collect a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.

But now others have warned that such a stance risks damaging efforts to fight rape and smacks of favouritism, with Polanski in 1978 having pleaded guilty in the United States to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.

The French government dropped its public support for Polanski, saying he was not "above the law,'' despite strong previous backing from its culture and foreign ministers.



Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also distanced himself from efforts to push for Polanski's release - though his own foreign minister has supported freeing the 76-year-old director of The Pianist.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner had written to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton calling for Polanski to be freed.
link..........
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/rush-to-defend-polanski-sparks-backlash/story-e6freuyi-1225781399331



this guy must be thrown into a room with 30 gay blokes to have fun with for 2 weeks then he should be shot in both legs and left to die a slow painful death,farking maggot scum!!!! Loading Poll..... Loading Poll..... Loading Poll.....