[about the roman Polanski rape case, the hypocrisy is strong with this one]

In fact, it wasn't against the law in 1978 either. Which is why the questions in the testimony specify that she wasn't his wife/ he wasn't her husband. Because if they were married - 44 and 13 even - it would have been entirely legal.

The girl's story also changed several times between the complaint (pursued by her mother, not at her request) and the testimony.

No one can know for certain what went on. But I've dealt with rape victims before, and based on what I've read (extensively), she did not behave like a victim. She behaved like a precocious, sexually experienced teenager who was into drugs and booze and later had regrets, specifically after she was busted for her behaviour. Yes - Polanski screwed her - and probably shouldn't have - but was it forcible? I don't think so, but I don't know.

What strikes me, though, is that he's had 30 years proving that he's not a sexual predator and not a danger to society. Yet a lot of the same people who want him lynched deify Michael Jackson who, whether sexual or not, was definitely a predator and inflicted a form of emotional abuse on his victims -- at a minimum. But he dies and I call him a pedophile, and people jump down my throat about there being no proof, and because the victims weren't above reproach.

And, about the sexual maturity aspect: In a lot of societies, as in history, once a girl was menstruating and able to conceive they did so. Granted, the average life expectancy was about 30... so as time has passed, progression has stunted - and probably for the better. But some women do mature a hell of a lot faster than expected. Whether emotionally ready or not, they are making choices about their bodies and sexuality.

I'd hate to think that anything I'd have done at 13 would come back to bite some guy on the ass - because yes, I was mistaken for being older. And no, I wasn't always forthcoming about my age. I let people act under assumptions that weren't always correct, and I was confident that my parents were supportive enough to respect my decisions and not file a complaint. Mind you, my parents also took the initiative to give me responsibility with freedom - including the responsibility to know what situations I was not safe or comfortable in and avoid them. This girl's mother apparently did not do the same, and instead pushed her out the door for whatever reason - fame, or whatnot.

A good point was made about the 13-year-old's previous sexual experiences. Were those guys under 18? if they weren't, why weren't they aggressively pursued?

In a lot of cases age is a number. There's a huge leap between someone 10 and someone 13... but not so much between 13 and 16... Some girls are still girls, and some girls are not. And while there's a lot of expression of repulsion for the intimacy between a teenager and someone 20 or 30 year's older, we also live in a society that idealizes youth and the whole Lolita image. Men who leer at Girls Gone Wild videos, and watch teenage cheerleader movies aren't met with disgust - it's considered normal. Traci Lords had a porn career at 15. Viewers sympathize with Kevin Spacey as he lusts over Mena Suvari... there's endless examples available - and while there may be a "look, don't touch" attitude, the fact is that the attraction is there. And that certainly doesn't mean that the men this appeals to are pedophiles - pedophiles are a completely different breed who are attracted to pre-pubescence - not to blossoming sexuality.

Men are stupid. Polanski made a stupid decision that has cost him. I don't believe it was a case of forcible rape - if it had been, he certainly shouldn't have been offered the plea. But he was, and he was screwed over by the courts because the media and popular opinion demanded more, and he's been in exile ever since. Considering the judge wanted him deported, I find it laughable that this is still a topic deemed worthy of returning to court.