A woman identified only as “Robin M.” on Tuesday accused film director Roman Polanski of having “sexually victimized” her when she was 16 years old in 1973. The woman made the accusation during a morning press conference at the Los Angeles office of her lawyer Gloria Allred.
Allred said her client had recently been in touch with law enforcement officials and was ready to testify as to her own victimization if Polanski were to be retried on charges that he sexually assaulted then-13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon has yet to rule on Geimer’s recent plea that the case be resolved or Polanski’s request to open sealed testimony that his lawyers have argued would show he was victimized by court misconduct.
“I think this is an attempt to influence Judge Gordon by a news conference,” said Polanski’s attorney Harland Braun in a statement Tuesday. “Ms. Geimer came to court, presented herself and begged the four decades old case be over. If this lady wants to block Ms. Geimer’s request, Ms. Allred could file an amicus brief with Judge Gordon. Mr. Polanski has done 10 months in custody in a case where he was promised no more than two months and Ms. Geimer has a right to her own life and opinions.”
In a statement of her own on Tuesday, Robin M. said Geimer’s plea on Polanski’s behalf had provoked her own decision to speak out. “This infuriated me! I am speaking out now so that Samantha and the world will know that she is not the only minor Roman Polanski had victimized.”
In 2010, an actress, Charlotte Lewis, said she had been sexually abused by Polanski at the age of 16 in the early 1980s during work on his film “Pirates.” Lewis, also represented at the time by Allred, did not file legal charges. Allred declined comment Tuesday on Lewis’ allegations.
Allred said that a statute of limitations effecting older crimes prevented Robin M. from bringing a claim against Polanski now. “In brief, it’s too late,” Allred said, but added she and her client are “going to explore what to do next.” They have not so far attempted to intervene in the existing criminal case.
Robin M. did not take questions during the press conference, and Allred declined to discuss how her client came into contact with Polanski in the ’70s.