Former Israeli headmistress Malka Leifer has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two sisters, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, between 2003 and 2007, in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish girls’ school in Australia. The jury did not find her guilty of sexually abusing a third sister, Nicole Meyer. Leifer, who was 56 years old, had pleaded not guilty to over two dozen charges against her and had spent years fighting extradition from Israel. However, in 2021, she was ordered to be extradited to Australia by an Israeli judge.
During the six-week trial, Victoria’s County Court heard evidence that Leifer was a highly regarded figure at the Adass Israel School in Melbourne, where the three sisters were studying. The sisters alleged that they were abused by Leifer in locked classrooms, on school camps, and at the home of the head teacher. The jury concluded that the sexual abuse continued even after the sisters had graduated and returned to the school as student teachers.
Dassi Erlich, speaking to reporters outside a Melbourne court, stated that the guilty verdict was a long time coming and that it was unbelievable that they had finally received justice. Prosecutor Justin Lewis argued that Leifer had a sexual interest in girls and that she had misused her position of authority over the sisters, who had little understanding of sex due to their ultra-conservative Jewish upbringing.
Defence barrister Ian Hill, on the other hand, claimed that the allegations against Leifer were false and questioned the reliability of the witnesses. Overall, the jury found Leifer guilty of raping and indecently assaulting the two sisters, but not guilty of sexually abusing the third sister. The verdict marks a significant moment for the sisters, who have been fighting for justice for many years.
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