Monday, local media reported that Malka Leifer, the former director of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school in Australia, was found guilty of sexually abusing two former students.
Leifer, who also has Israeli citizenship and fled the country in 2008 when the accusations initially surfaced, was finally extradited to Australia from Israel in 2021.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), a jury found Leifer, 56, guilty of 18 sexual crimes, including rape, indecent assault, and penetration of a 16- or 17-year-old minor, after a six-week trial. According to ABC, she was also cleared of nine other charges.
Former Adass Israel School headmaster has refuted all claims against him.
The County Court of Victoria (where the trial took place) and Leifer’s counsel did not respond immediately to RushHourDaily’ request for comment.
Leifer was accused of sexually abusing three sisters called Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich, and Elly Sapper between 2003 and 2007. Meyer was found innocent of the crimes perpetrated against Erlich and Sapper, but Leifer was found guilty.
Malka Leifer was finally held accountable for the years of brutality she perpetrated on her three victims, however the verdict may not be just “Monday evening, as he left the courtroom, Sapper said.
“She committed the offense and will now bear the consequences. Today, the law was upheld.
From 2014 and 2021, Leifer contested her extradition to Australia, alleging mental health difficulties as one of her arguments. In the year 2020, an Israeli court concluded that Leifer could face trial since he “faked” mental illness.
The three sisters told ABC that the alleged misbehavior happened on school grounds, in closed staff offices, at school camps, and at Leifer’s home.
