Ex-teacher Leifer allegedly claimed accuser was needy
A former ultra-Orthodox Jewish school principal accused of raping three sisters allegedly told one of her accusers that she was helping her to get over her neediness.
Malka Leifer is facing 29 charges over the alleged sexual abuse of Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when she was head of religion and principal of the Adass Israel School in the city’s eastern suburbs.
Leifer, a mother of eight, has pleaded not guilty and is standing trial in the Victorian County Court.
A courtroom sketch depicts former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer at the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne, Wednesday, February 8, 2023. (AAP Image/Mollie McPherson)
Allegations of abuse were first made against Leifer in 2008. In March that year, Ms Sapper saw a clinical psychologist and discussed her own experience with Leifer, the jury was told on Monday.
Vicki Gordon said she saw Ms Sapper over several months, and she disclosed that Leifer would touch her all over her body and even though Leifer knew from the beginning that she didn’t like it, she would continue.
“She told me it was because I never had any warmth and affection from home – I was more needy than other girls and she was trying to help me get over it,” Dr Gordon read from her notes, quoting Ms Sapper.
Leifer, 56, is accused of raping all three women, now in their 30s. Other charges include indecent assault and sexual penetration of a child aged 16 or 17 who was under her care or supervision.
The court was closed for two weeks while the three women gave evidence in the trial and re-opened on Monday.
Ms Erlich’s former husband Joshua Erlich said his then-wife had used “glowing terms” when speaking about Ms Leifer during the course of their relationship from 2006 until 2011.
He said Ms Erlich’s mother had been controlling and Leifer would help the sisters get out of the house as much as possible, including taking them on school camps.
Leifer is accused of abusing Ms Meyer and Ms Erlich when the trio shared a room together on one of those camps.
“She said they would talk a lot, discuss all the things going on in her life,” Mr Erlich said.
“She said they would lie in bed and talk to each other. That’s how they would spend that time.”
Ms Erlich first disclosed allegations of abuse against Leifer when seeing counsellor Chana Rabinowitz in Israel in 2007 and 2008.
In January 2008, Mr Erlich said he overheard his wife talking to Ms Meyer about those discussions.
She had disclosed something about her relationship with Leifer that Ms Rabinowitz had seemed taken aback, he said.
He asked her about the call the following day.
“She had mentioned something about how Mrs Leifer was affectionate to her and had been sort of like a surrogate mother for her and how she would hug her and have long conversations with her, and, for some reason, Chana Rabinowitz was alarmed about this,” he said.
He said he later heard that Ms Rabinowitz had spoken to Ms Meyer about what Ms Erlich told her, and Ms Meyer had “corroborated”.
Mr Erlich said his wife had been scared and panicked about what was happening and what would happen once it started circulating in the community.
Psychiatrist Lorraine Dennerstein told the court she wrote three reports after speaking to Ms Meyer about the abuse, including one which noted Leifer had groomed Ms Meyer for a sexual relationship while she was in year 12.
She noted the allegations included touching and attempted penetration. In another report she said Ms Meyer said Leifer gave her “suffocating kisses” and panted with excitement.
His evidence is continuing.
AAP
