Court told of principal’s plea to alleged abuse victim

AUSTRALIA
The Age

May 7, 2015

Steve Butcher and Patrick Hatch

One of three sisters allegedly sexually abused by the principal of the Adass Israel Girls School has told a court how the woman “begged” her to reveal “what was going on” before she was sacked and then flew to Israel days later.

The Supreme Court of Victoria heard earlier that Malka Leifer used one student’s abusive home life as a way to groom and then sexually abuse her over several years.

It was alleged in evidence on Thursday that four people once visited and harassed the student’s older sister in London to pressure her to pressure other family members to drop the “charges” against Mrs Leifer.

That former student of the Elsternwick school is suing it for damages stemming from abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Mrs Leifer.

Justice Jack Rush heard this week that a member of the school’s committee arranged plane tickets to enable Mrs Leifer to leave Australia within two days of being sacked in 2008.

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