Former Israeli principal imprisoned for abusing Australian children sexually

The former head of a school in Israel will face a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for causing harm to two students at an Australian Jewish school known for its strict rules.

Malka Leifer was found guilty in April of sexually attacking and abusing Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, who are sisters. This happened between 2003 and 2007.

The 56-year-old person was declared innocent of hurting a third sister named Nicole Meyer.

Leifer’s punishment concludes a 15-year effort for the mother of eight to be held accountable. She claimed innocence and denied committing the crimes, and subsequently put up a prolonged fight against being deported to Israel. But in 2021, a judge from Israel ruled that she pretended to have mental illness to avoid going to court, and decided that she should be sent to Melbourne.

During a very long trial, the jury learned that Leifer had mistreated the sisters in locked classrooms, on school trips, and at the principal’s house.

The judge, Mark Gamble, explained the 18 charges on Thursday and described her actions as very harmful.

Leifer was highly respected at the Adass Israel School. People were very impressed by him, almost like they would be with a rabbi. The sisters didn’t receive love and were not protected. Their mother abused them emotionally and physically at home. They didn’t have anyone to teach them about sex.

This situation is very concerning because the victims were very easy to harm, and Mrs. Leifer deliberately and heartlessly took advantage of them in a planned and careful manner. The judge said that she did it to get sexual satisfaction in a perverted way.

The judge said that Ms Sapper and Ms Erlich are not to blame for what Leifer did to them. They spoke about feeling guilty, ashamed, and afraid for a long time.

She is the only one who should feel bad and embarrassed for what happened.

Based on the time she has already spent in jail, Leifer can be released on parole in June 2029.

The leader of an Israeli school has been found guilty of sexually abusing children in Australia.

Speaking with her sisters outside of the court, Ms Erlich said that the punishment marked the conclusion of a challenging and distressing period in their lives.

“She said we are here today because we never gave up. ”

And even though we understand that survivors should not have to be the ones responsible for fighting for justice, this fight was never just about them.

To all other people who have survived this terrible situation: remember that you are not alone, we are all supporting you.

After Leifer’s trial ended, the police have started a new investigation into her actions of avoiding punishment.

The principal escaped to Israel in 2008 after people accused her of something wrong, apparently with the support of some members of the school’s governing body. She was taken into custody in 2014 because Australia wanted her, but two years later an Israeli court stopped her from being sent back because they decided she was not mentally capable of standing trial.

But investigators who pretended to be someone else secretly recorded her going shopping and putting money into a bank. This made Israeli authorities start investigating her again and arrest her again in February 2018. The judge said she was pretending to be someone with a mental illness.