A French actress has accused filmmaker Roman Polanski of raping her when she was just 18 years old.
The actress told Le Parisien about the alleged assault in an interview published on Friday, reports eonline.com.
“In 1975, I was raped by Roman Polanski,” she claimed in a statement to Le Parisien.
“I had no connection to him, personal or professional, and barely knew him. This was an extreme act of violence, after we went skiing at his chalet in Gstaad. He hit me, ripped off my clothes until I surrendered, and made me submit to a number of unpleasant acts. I had just turned 18 years old.”
Le Parisien reported they were able to corroborate her story with several individuals, who she told about the alleged attack in the days after.
It’s been nearly 45 years since the alleged rape took place, but she said she only recently felt the need to share her story after finding out the director’s film J’Accuse will be released in French theatres next week.
“Rape is a time bomb. The memory does not fade. It becomes a ghost and it follows you, and it changes you insidiously,” she shared with the publication.
Polanski has denied all allegations of rape and abuse. In a statement, his lawyer Herve Temime said: “Roman Polanski strongly denies all accusation of rape. On a personal note, I can’t help but add that the alleged action took place 40 years ago. That they were never, throughout all these long years, brought to the attention of a judiciary authority or to Mr. Polanski. Under these conditions, I strongly protest the release, on the eve of the film’s release, of these accusations.”
The Polish director stands accused of rape on three separate occasions, all of which he denies, and currently lives in exile in France, where he has evaded US authorities for over 45 years.
