Samantha Jane Geimer can definitely relate to the situation regarding Dylan Farrow’s accusations that her adoptive father Woody Allen sexually abused her when she was seven.
Geimer, the author of The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski, was sexually assaulted by Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski when she was 13. At the time, Polanski’s plea deal with prosecutors stopped Geimer from testifying and 30 years later, she came out against California’s efforts to prosecute Polanksi, who fled the country before his scheduled sentencing and hasn’t returned since.
Geimer, now almost 50, recently took to Slate.com to express her opinion on Farrow’s recent open letter in The New York Times, making it clear that she hopes Farrow’s allegations will help her recover and serve as a reminder that the accuser and alleged perpetrator don’t deserve on-the-spot judgment.
“Dylan says in her open letter that she hopes she can help other victims come forward and heal,” Geimer wrote. “On the face of it, my first reaction was that this painful public battle, in which there can be no winners and only a very long list of losers, will not encourage anyone to speak out about their abuse. Let’s not let that happen.
“We can recover even if there is no punishment for the abuser,” Geimer continued. “We can come forward or we can heal privately. The only thing we can’t do is change what has already happened.”
