Extradition effort steps up against fugitive principal Malka Leifer

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
June 7, 2016

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/extradition-effort-steps-up-against-fugitive-prinicpal-malka-leifer/news-story/a180eec76c7120cce4fbc5592b47713d

Former Adass Israel School principal Malka Leifer.

FUGITIVE principal Malka Leifer could still be extradited to Australia after a fresh bid by prosecutors to force her to face justice.

Ms Leifer is in hiding in Israel where she fled after allegations of child sexual abuse were levelled at her in 2008 while principal of Elsternwick’s Adass Israel School.

Police have been told the mother of eight molested up to 10 girls, and they say she will be charged with more than 70 child sex offences if she returns to Melbourne.

Last week an Israeli judge lifted a home detention condition, halted extradition proceedings, and placed Ms Leifer on a psychiatric treatment regimen that could last 10 years. It came after Ms Leifer failed to appear at court on almost a dozen occasions citing mental illness and anxiety.

While not appealing the decision, prosecutors want a travel ban placed on Ms Leifer to stop her from leaving Israel. They say they want to ensure extradition proceedings can be resumed once she is deemed mentally fit for trial.

“We definitely want to see her face justice and face a trial when she is able to do so,” a spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Justice said.

Victim advocate group Tzedek said two petitions launched since Judge Amnon’s ruling had already raised thousands of signatures.

In a statement, the group said more than 2000 people had signed two petitions including one to Israel’s justice minister expressing their outrage at the ruling.

“Tzedek is appalled that a person with 74 charges pending of sex offences is living in her community, posing a risk to children,” the group said in a statement. “This ruling shows total disregard for the victims from the Adass school. They need to see Leifer brought back to Australia to face criminal proceedings.

“The current stalemate is causing ongoing trauma to the victims.”

The Herald Sun revealed last week members of Melbourne’s ultra Orthodox Jewish community were helping fund Ms Leifer’s life on the run.

Sources claimed an account linked to Ms Leifer was being topped up by some community members here.

A defiant Ms Leifer has told family and friends she will never return to Melbourne.

Last year the Supreme Court of Victoria awarded one of Ms Leifer’s alleged victims $1 million in damages.