I wrote about the British Embassy in Warsaw’s encounters (and not) with Roman Polanski last year:

It turned out that Polanski has been invited ‘privately’ to lunch at HM Ambassador’s Residence in Warsaw under a previous management. So UK taxpayer’s money had gone to feed and water this fellow in some style.

An interesting situation under domestic and international law. Had R Polanski set foot in the UK he might well have been arrested and sent to the USA to face justice at long last. Yet he entered HM Ambassador’s Residence in Warsaw and tucked in to steak and chips funded directly or indirectly by the UK taxpayer.

There is a great hubbub now from France and Poland and friends of Polanksi around the world that to arrest him now is unjust. He has lived ‘in exile’ for years. The child he abused has grown up and no longer wants him prosecuted. There were fishy things about the judge in the case. And so on.

Here (h/t Instapundit) is a thoughtful piece from Roger Simon on the case and the deeper feelings it evokes in him at least:

Lurking behind the stylish images and high art of The Pianist, I heard Roman Polanski talking to me. I heard him imploring me and saying – see what I have suffered, it was horrible beyond comprehension, you must excuse me anything I have done. I felt exploited and I didn’t like it.

… Suffering from the Holocaust is not an excuse for bad behavior – or perhaps even, as is more accurate in Polanski’s case – allowing your personal demons to be an excuse for that behavior.

So I’m feeling exploited again, angry at U. S. authorities for bringing this up after all this time and angry at Roman for not facing the reality of his actions…

Look, Polanski is weak like the rest of us. But in the end, there is something about him that is a metaphor for Hollywood – despite that he has been exiled from here these many years. A tremendously talented man, he is the emblem of special pleading.

If as many people think Polanski’s case for lenient treatment or even a pardon is so strong, and maybe after all these years it is, let him get on a plane back to the USA and accept his fate with dignity.

Or maybe the facts of the case are just a bit too horrible and he and his supporters do not want them splashed all over his reputation – and theirs?

Also some might think that Poland’s clamour for Polanski not to be extradited to the USA sits a bit uneasily with its shiny new policy on dealing firmly with paedophiles:

“I want Poland to have the strictest possible legislation against criminals who rape children. It is as simple as that,” said Mr Tusk.

Is there the basis of a deal here?

Polanski stays in Poland – but takes his medicine?