Female Jewish Principal Who Fled to Israel after Being Accused of Child Sex Abuse Claims She Is "Psychotic and Stressed" As She Fights Extradition to Melbourne

Daily Mail
July 16, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3163261/Female-Jewish-principal-fled-Israel-accused-child-sex-abuse-claims-psychotic-stressed-fights-extradition-Melbourne.html

A former principal of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school in Melbourne who was accused of molesting students has claimed through her lawyer she is psychotic as she fights her extradition from Israel.

Malka Leifer fled to Israel after she was accused of sexually abusing students at Adass Israel School in Melbourne when she was principal in 2008.

Victoria Police are working to force Ms Leifer to be extradited back to Australia where she could face dozens of criminal charges, the ABC reports.

Malka Leifer fled to Israel after she was accused of sexually abusing students at Adass Israel School in Melbourne when she was principal in 2008

But Ms Leifer, who was placed under house arrest after she was arrested in Israel in August, now claims she is psychotic and unfit to face court.

She was expected to appear at Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday but didn't attend because of ill health, according to lawyers.

Her lawyer Yehuda Fried successfully argued for her case to be delayed claiming she is suffering from 'psychosis and stress'.

Mr Fried said he would appeal to the Israeli High Court and the Justice Minister in a bid to fight Ms Leifer's extradition, the Herald Sun reports.

Prosecutors asked the judge to have future hearings at Ms Leifer's house to accelerate proceedings and called for her to be put back in full police custody.

'There has been a number of delays to this case caused by the defendant. The Ministry of Justice is doing everything it can to move this case along,' the Israeli Justice Ministry said.

Victoria Police are working to force Ms Leifer to be extradited back to Australia where she could face dozens of criminal charges from the allegations made against her at Adass Israel School (pictured)

Ms Leifer was based in Melbourne from 2001 until she was sacked in March 2008 when the allegation of child abuse became public.

A member of the school community allegedly organised a flights for her to leave the country two days later.

The extradition matter will return to court in Israel on October 26.