The woman raped by Roman Polanski wants the case against him to be thrown out for the sake of her mental health. Samantha Geimer - known as Samantha Gailey when the film director assaulted her when she was just 13 - has pleaded with the Californian justice system to drop the charges as she can't cope with the constant media attention. Her lawyer Lawrence Silver stated in documents filed with the state's Second District Court of Appeal: "The case has caused her to have health-related issues. "The pursuit has caused her performance at her job to be interfered with and has caused the understandable displeasure of her employer and the real possibility that Samantha could lose her job."

Samantha - who has previously requested the case be dropped - isn't allowed to comment on the case for legal reasons but has previously told how the media were invading her life since Polanski was arrested in August. Samantha, now 45, said: "I can tell you that I have reporters parked outside my home, harassing my family and neighbours, and it is extremely unpleasant." Polanski was arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, and faces being extradited to America after fleeing to France in 1978 when he was convicted of unlawful sex with a minor.