Phoenix group calls for Pianist Oscar withdrawal

Child protection campaigners today called for a UK-wide boycott of Roman Polanski’s Oscar-nominated film The Pianist because of the fugitive director’s child sex conviction.

Phoenix Survivors Said: “We are appealing to Bafta and the Oscar associations to withdraw all nominations for this film. If they refuse then we will protest.”

Polanski fled Los Angeles for Paris almost 25 years ago to escape sentencing after admitting having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl and has been warned by police that if he returns to the US for the 75th Annual Academy Awards he will be arrested.