French film actress Valentine Monnier has accused Oscar winning director Roman Polanski of raping her when she was 18 in a ski chalet.

Ms Monnier waived her right to anonymity so as to describe the alleged horrific ordeal just as Polanski, 86, launches a new movie called ‘I accuse’.

She told how she feared being murdered by the film director after he ‘violently raped’ her in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Polanski is still wanted in America after pleading guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old schoolgirl in 1977 and then fleeing the country.

In a detailed victim statement released through the Parisien newspaper, Ms Monnier said she now wanted to accuse Polanski of attacking her in a ski chalet in early 1975.

Ms Monnier (pictured during her acting days), who is now 63, said: ‘In 1975 I was raped by Roman Polanski. I had no link with him, neither personnel, nor professional, and I hardly knew him

In a detailed victim statement released through the Parisien newspaper, Ms Monnier (right, in her acting days) said she now wanted to accuse Polanski (pictured left last month) of attacking her in a ski chalet in early 1975

Responding to the claims, a lawyer for the director said: ‘Roman Polanski firmly denies all accusations of rape.’

Ms Monnier, who is now 63, said: ‘In 1975 I was raped by Roman Polanski. I had no link with him, neither personnel, nor professional, and I hardly knew him.

‘It happened extremely violently, after we got back to his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, from skiing.

‘He hit me, beat me until I surrendered, and then raped me and put me through all kinds of vicissitudes. I had just turned 18’.

She feared ‘I would die’, because the already world famous Polanski would want to keep his crime secret by murdering her.

Ms Monnier, who now lives in New York, said she was finally speaking out after 44 years because of Polanski’s hypocrisy.

The French-Polish director, who made his name with films such as 'Rosemary's Baby', 'Chinatown' and 'The Pianist', has just made ‘J’accuse’ (‘I accuse’) about Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish officer convicted and imprisoned on false evidence at the end of the 19th Century.

Dreyfus was accused of smuggling French Army secrets to the Germans in a notorious case of anti-Semitism, before finally being cleared.

Ms Monnier (pictured during her acting days), who now lives in New York, said she was finally speaking out after 44 years because of Polanski’s hypocrisy

Describing the crime of rape as a ‘time bomb’, Ms Monnier (pictured during her acting days) said the ‘traumatic memory’ of what father-of-two Polanski did to her would never go away

Ms Monnier said she was disgusted at the way Polanski was using the plot of ‘J’accuse’ to allegedly mirror his own case in the USA. He plead guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old schoolgirl and then fled the country.

She said: ‘Is it tenable, under the pretext of a film, under the cover of history, to hear the person who has marked you for life to say “I accuse”, while preventing you – the victim – to accuse him?’

Describing the crime of rape as a ‘time bomb’, Ms Monnier said the ‘traumatic memory’ of what father-of-two Polanski did to her would never go away.

She felt guilty about what happened for decades and was too scared to go to the authorities.

Polanski had also apologised to her in floods of tears, while other guests in the chalet also encouraged her to remain silent.

Because of the 20-year statute of limitations in France, Polanski cannot be prosecuted for a crime that allegedly took place in 1975.

Marlene Schiappa, France’s equality minister, confirmed that Polanski could not be arrested over the accusations.

Referring to Switzerland – where Ms Monnier was allegedy raped – Ms Schiappa said:‘I cannot intervene in legal proceedings in another country. Nevertheless, I wish to express my full support for your courageous approach.’

Ms Monnier said she was invited on the 1975 trip to the Alps by a girlfriend who knew Polanski, and that she found herself alone on a ski lift with the director when he used coarse language to ask her: ‘Do you want to have sex?’

She said no, but that night Polanski arrived in her room naked and tore off her clothes before raping her.

‘I was completely shocked,’ said Mr Valentine. ‘I weighed 50 kilos [7.8 stone] – Polanski was small but muscular and, at 42, in the prime of life. He got the upper hand in two minutes.’

Ms Monnier explained: ‘I said to myself – it’s Roman Polanski, he cannot take the risk of this becoming knows, so he will have to kill me.’

Polanski currently lives in Paris with his wife Emmanuelle Seigner (pictured), who is 33 years younger than him, and their two children, Morgane and Elvis

In 1978, Polanski pleaded guilty in US court to raping and drugging Samantha Geimer (seen left in June 2017), who was just 13 years old at the time. Geimer is seen right in 1976, a year before she was raped by Polanski

Ms Monnier said she later recounted her ordeal to a few close friends and family, including her husband in 1993.

‘This drama has resurfaced every time Polanski is in the news,’ she said, naming confidantes including the screenwriter Gerard Brach, who died in 2006.

There is one direct witness – referred to by pseudonym Charles – who said he met Ms Monnier in early 1975 and ‘she told me that she had been brutally raped by Polanski’.

He added: ‘I asked Valentine if she wanted to go to the police. In shock, she did not know what to do. She was so young and very positive, so she was trying to leave that horrible experience behind.

‘I thought that he was an honest person who was moving forward and I had no reason to doubt what she was saying to me.’

Following the publication of Ms Monnier’s testament in the Parisien, lawyer Hervé Témime said: ‘Roman Polanski firmly denies all accusations of rape.’

Mr Termimé added: ‘On a personal note, I can only note that the alleged facts are from forty-five years ago.

‘That they have never, during all these long years, been brought to the notice of the judicial authorities or to Mr. Polanski.

‘In such circumstances, I deeply regret the publication, on the eve of the release of the film, of such accusations.’

‘J’accuse’ is called ‘An Officer and a Spy’ for the British and American cinema market, and is written by Polanski and the British author Robert Harris.

Polanski currently lives in Paris with his wife Emmanuelle Seigner, who is 33 years younger than him, and their two children, Morgane and Elvis.

The news comes two months after Polanski won the Grand Jury prize at Venice Film Festival but the jury chair has refused to congratulate him.

His new film, An Officer and a Spy, won the Grand Jury prize, known as the Silver Lion - which recognises strong contenders for the Golden Lion.

The jury chair, Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel, said that although she doesn't separate the 'art from the artist' she believed his film was rightly screened at the festival.

She told the Independent: 'I will not congratulate him, but I think it is correct that his movie is here at this festival.'

Polanski (pictured with Sharon Tate) was struck by tragedy in 1969 when his then pregnant wife was murdered along with four friends by members of the Manson family at the couple's Hollywood home

The murders have recently been made into a film set to be released later this month, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by director Quentin Tarantino (pictured, Polanski with Sharon Tate)

Polanski did not go to Venice to accept the award, as he may have been arrested, extradited back to the US and jailed for his statutory rape conviction.

His wife who stars in the film, Emmanuelle Seigner, collected the award on his behalf.

The new film, which stars Jean Dujardin and Louis Garrel, is based on Robert Harris’s novel about the Dreyfus affair in 1895 France.

The criminal's precaution over not attending the Venice festival may stem from a similar situation he found himself in 2009 when he was arrested by Swiss officials for going to the Zurich Film Festival.

His arrest sparked a backlash from Hollywood stars and Harvey Weinstein, who 80 women have accused of sexual assault, started a petition demanding Polanski's immediate release.

The 'We demand the immediate release of Roman' petition was signed by the likes of Woody Allen, Martin Scorcese and Tilda Swinton.

Polanski was struck by tragedy in 1969 when his then pregnant wife was murdered along with four friends by members of the Manson family at the couple's Hollywood home.

The murders have recently been made into a film set to be released later this month, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by director Quentin Tarantino.