From what I know, Polanski had admitted his guilt and his lawyer struck a deal with the judge in return, that all but one accusations (sex with an underaged girl) would be abandoned, which would have meant that he wouldn't have to go to prison.
Such deals, I understand, are rather normal.
But then some hot shot prosecutor, who wasn't even involved in the case, wanted to "spice it up" a bit and gave the impression that he convinced the judge to not honor the deal.
And that is when Polanski panicked and fled.
So yes, he forced a 13-year-old into sex, who he might have believed to be older. It was at a Hollywood party in Jack Nicholson's house, for crying out loud! Nevertheless he has done wrong. But his victim publically forgave him a long time ago and she leads a normal family life nowadays. I bet she wants the case to be rested, too, and not go through it all again. Because Polanski's lawyers will pull her into the courtroom.
In my eyes this is just a case of bureaucracy gone awry. That and the very shady circumstances of how he was arrested now -- and not earlier -- worry me. Hell, he even has a house in Switzerland, where he stayed regularly in recent years. How come he wasn't arrested earlier?
Yes, he should be punished for what he did. But the circumstances of how it is handled now, are very ominous. Putting him to trial now, seems not to be a matter of justice anymore, but just about revenge.
I also believe he is treated differently, than a normal person would be treated. If he wasn't a celebrity, he would still be free. And I guess that's the main point for those who defend him. There are talks about treating him equally to a normal person to justify his arrest -- while at the same time he just isn't treated like a normal person.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished. I just despise the bigottery. Because his case and the fact that he fled from the USA have been known for 30 years. No one ever protested against him, no one ever asked for boycotting his movies, the whole world celebrated his genius as a director and he was awarded with an Oscar not so long ago.
Those who are crying for justice now, are simply hypocrites.