Follow on to yesterday's rant on the US disconnect on teen sex. See http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html . Grand jury testimony from the vic in the legendary Roman Polanski rape case. Few sane people will deny that the end result was something icky. However the point at which it became criminal is FAR more fuzzy. Polanski's had a rep of liking young ones. The mother warned him about doing her daughter, then let the guy take her daughter on multiple unsupervised photo shoots. The young lady was clearly unhappy with the end result. However presume that the guy had been fifteen and a classmate. Exactly when did it turn from a pushy guy and a more than somewhat compliant girl into rape? When he asks the top to come off? The panties? The wine? The pill? First time hands go on? First kiss? It mostly comes off as lame and tawdry. However we have set up a society where such murky situations are easily possible. Being shot topless for French Vogue is OK. Going off with your mother's knowledge to be alone with a guy who has a rep for young girls is OK. There is no clear logic here.
posted by scott 7:13 AM