Ten witnesses will give evidence against alleged paedophile school principal in ultra-orthodox Jewish sect who faces 74 charges of grooming and sexually abusing students – after she was extradited from Israel
- Malka Leifer, 54, was principal of Adass Israel School in extreme Jewish sect
- School is part of an insular community taking up several blocks in Melbourne
- She is accused of using her position to sexually abuse numerous schoolgirls
- Three sisters are her most prominent accusers and fought to have her tried
- Leifer fled to Israel and was finally extradited after a 12-year legal battle
Three sisters want to give evidence against their alleged abuser Malka Leifer in person as she faces dozens of charges stemming from her time at Melbourne’s Adass Israel School.
Leifer, a 54-year-old former principal of the ultra-Orthodox college, faces 74 charges including rape and indecent assault between January 2004 and March 2008.
Siblings Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper are among 10 witnesses set to give evidence against Leifer in a five-day Melbourne Magistrates Court committal hearing scheduled for September.
Malka Leifer (pictured right) is facing 74 rape and child sex abuse charges from her time as a principal at Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Addas Israel School
Sisters Elly Sapir, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer (pictured above) are alleged victims of Malka Leifer
It will determine if there is enough evidence for Leifer to stand trial on 47 indecent assault charges, 13 counts of committing an indecent act with a child, 11 of rape and three of sexually penetrating a child.
Prosecutor Holly Baxter on Friday told the court the sisters wanted to give evidence against Leifer in person and not via a remote facility. However, this option would remain available for them.
Some other witnesses in the case were based in Israel and would need to give evidence remotely, Ms Baxter said.
Leifer remains in custody and appeared in court via video link. She did not speak except to confirm she could see and hear the court.
Child sexual abuse victims Nicole Meyer and Dassi Erlich campaigned for Leifer’s extradition
She was extradited from Israel in January following a years-long court battle and after she was found to be feigning mental illness.
The abuse is alleged to have occurred in the Melbourne suburbs of Elsternwick, Elwood, Emerald and Frankston, as well as in the state’s West Gippsland region and Blampied in the Central Highlands.
Her accusers were last year granted a court order allowing them to keep speaking publicly about their case and under their real names.
A person believed to be former Jewish school principal Malka Leifer, walks off a plane at Melbourne Airport (pictured) in January after extradition
Advertisement
