Student granted $1 million payout from Jewish school ...

By Louise Cheer And Emily Crane
Daily Mail
September 16, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3236270/Jewish-school-ordered-pay-1-million-student-sexually-abused-principal.html

Malka Leifer fled to Israel after she was accused of sexually abusing students at Adass Israel School in Melbourne. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ordered the school to pay the victim of abuse $1.2 million

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)

Student granted $1 million payout from Jewish school after suing them for 'covering up' the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of their female principal

A woman who was sexually abused as a student at a Melbourne Orthodox Jewish school has been awarded more than $1.2 million in damages.

Now aged in her 20s, the woman was allegedly abused by former Adass Israel School headmistress Malka Leifer at the teacher's home, at school camps and on school grounds between 2003 and 2006.

When he handed down his judgement in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Justice John Rush said Ms Leifer had exploited the student and it was 'deplorable' the school helped the teacher leave Australia when the abuse became known.

Ms Leifer fled to Israel after she was accused of sexually abusing students at the Elsternwick school, in Melbourne's south-east, when she was principal.

For the former educator's 'monstrous' conduct, Justice Rush ruled she pay $150,000-worth of damages to her victim.

'I have described Leifer’s conduct previously as a massive breach of trust, yet this description does not adequately set out the destructive and evil nature of her sexual abuse of the plaintiff,' he said, according to the Herald Sun.

'The evidence discloses the sole motivation of Leifer in her dealings with the plaintiff was her own sexual gratification.'

Justice Rush also took aim at the school's 'disgraceful' move to cover up Ms Leifer's alleged sexual abuse.

He said he had no doubt in his mind that the bundling of the former principal onto a flight out of Australia by the school, following the emergence of the allegations, was 'deliberate'.

'The conduct amounts to disgraceful, contumelious behaviour demonstrating a complete disregard of Leifer’s victims of which the plaintiff was one,' Justice Rush said.

During the court hearing, the alleged victim described how Ms Leifer told her the alleged sexual abuse was the way she expressed her love and affection.

Victoria Police were working to force Leifer to be extradited back to Australia where she could face dozens of criminal charges, the ABC reported back in July.  

Leifer, who was placed under house arrest after she was arrested in Israel last year, claimed she was psychotic and unfit to face court, adding she would fight her extradition.

She did not attend an extradition matter at Jerusalem District Court in July because of ill health, her lawyers said.

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

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