French former model accuses Roman Polanski of raping her as a teen

A French former model has accused Roman Polanski, oscar-winning director, of raping her in a swiss Ski resort in 1975. Valentine Monnier told a French daily that she was raped by the French-Polish director at the age of 18 at Polanski’s chalet in Gstaad. 

'No links with Polanski'

Monnier claimed that she had no links with Polanski, neither personal nor professional, and she hardly knew him. She told the newspaper that her friend had invited her for skiing, with a stay in Polanski’s chalet. The former model said that Polanski called her in his room where she found him naked. The director allegedly struck her until she gave up and then raped her. 

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The fugitive director

The 86-year-old director has been a fugitive from the judicial system of the United States after he pleaded guilty in a statutory rape case. In 1977, Polanski admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old and fled to France the following year. The latest film by Polanski, which highlights the failure of justice, forced Monnier to finally speak out about the incident.

“Is this tenable, under the pretext of a film, the cover of history to hear ‘I accuse’ from the man who marked you like with iron when it is forbidden for you, the victim, to accuse him?” the paper quoted Monnier.

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Expelled from the film academy

Polanski has been repeatedly accused of rape, sexual assault, and abuse. Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organisation behind the Oscars, decided to expel Polanski from its membership over sexual misconduct. The director filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court asking the judge to reinstate his membership but the film academy stood behind its decision. The academy, in a statement, said that “the procedures taken to expel Mr Polanski were fair and reasonable.” Polanski's expulsion from the academy has barred him from voting for nominees and winners but his films can still win awards.

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(With AP Inputs)