Malka Leifer found guilty of school abuse charges

Former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal Malka Leifer has been found guilty of 18 sexual abuse offences against two former students.

Jurors on Monday handed down mixed verdicts against the 56-year-old mother of eight after a trial in the Victorian County Court.

She was accused of sexually abusing Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper at the Adass Israel School in the city’s eastern suburbs between 2003 and 2007.

Jurors convicted her of 18 offences relating to Ms Erlich and Ms Sapper. She was acquitted of nine charges, including the five that related to Ms Meyer and several charges involving Ms Erlich.

Leifer, who sat with her head tilted watching the jury, did not react as the verdicts were read.

The sisters were in court for the verdicts.

Leifer was appointed the menaheles, or principal, of the girls’ school after arriving in Melbourne in 2001 but was stood down when allegations were raised in 2008.

She fled to Israel days later and when charged in 2014 began a years-long battle against extradition.

The sisters told jurors they were abused by Leifer on school camps, during private lessons at the school and at Leifer’s home.

 

Prosecutor Justin Lewis argued Leifer had a tendency to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers.

Mr Lewis said the tendency was to engage in sexual activities with them and to take advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance in sexual matters and her position of authority in order to do so.

Her barrister, Ian Hill KC, argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offending and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defence and to jurors.

He attacked the credibility of the sisters, including accusing one of telling “blatant lies” in her evidence.

“Truth and reliability were lost in false accounts,” he said.

“Perhaps even at times hardened into false imaginations and false memories of false realities.”

GUILTY

6 x indecent assault

3 x sexual penetration of a child aged 16 or 17

3 x indecent act with a child aged 16 or 17

5 x rape

1 x rape by compelled sexual penetration

NOT GUILTY

4 x indecent assault

5 x rape

The timeline:

2001

* Malka Leifer arrives from Israel at Melbourne’s Adass Israel School

2003 – 2006

* Alleged abuse of Nicole Meyer – charges 1-5

2004 – 2006

* Abuse of Dassi Erlich – charges 8-19

2006 – 2007

* Abuse of Elly Sapper – charges 22-29

2008

* Leifer is dismissed by school board after allegations raised, travels to Israel

2011

* The sisters make statements to Victoria Police

2014

* Leifer is arrested on 74 charges and held on home detention. Extradition proceedings begin

* Ms Sapper sues for damages and receives a confidential out-of-court settlement

2015

* Ms Erlich is refused an out-of-court settlement. She sues and is awarded damages

2016

* Leifer is found unfit to face an extradition trial

2017

* Ms Erlich launches #BringLeiferBack

* Ms Meyer receives a confidential out-of-court settlement

2018

* Israeli Police accuse Leifer of feign ing mental illness

* Jerusalem’s chief psychiatrist recommends that Leifer is fit to face an extradition hearing

2019

* Two psychiatrists tell a court Leifer is fit to be extradited, another two say she is not

2020

* Leifer is found mentally fit to stand trial and then mentally fit for extradition in her 71st court hearing

* The extradition order is signed

2021

* Leifer arrives in Melbourne shortly before borders close because of the COVID-19 pandemic

* She is ordered to stand trial and pleads not guilty

2023

* Leifer pleads not guilty again when her Victorian County Court trial begins

* Jurors convict her of 18 offences relating to Ms Erlich and Ms Sapper. She is acquitted of nine charges, five of which related to Ms Meyer and four involving Ms Erlich.

AAP