Prefer Jewish News on Google
Israel rules alleged sex abuser Malka Leifer can be extradited to Australia
'Monumental decision' from court comes after years of legal fighting over whether she can stay in Israel, despite being wanted on 74 counts of sexual assault and rape charges
An Israeli court has triggered relief in the Australian Jewish community after ruling that a former headmistress is fit to stand trial and can be extradited to Australia where she is accused of child sex abuse.
Malka Leifer, a former headteacher at the Adass Israel Jewish school in Melbourne, is wanted on 74 sexual assault and rape charges. She fled the country for Israel before police could arrest her. Australian police have been seeking her extradition for six years.
Leifer has fought long and hard to stay in Israel, arguing that she is mentally unfit to stand trial in Australia throughout dozens of legal hearings in a case that has involved Israeli ministers and strained Israel-diaspora relations.
The momentous ruling she will be soon be on a plane was announced on Tuesday by Judge Chana Miriam Lomp, who referred to a psychiatric board assessment in January of this year that Leifer had been feigning mental illness in order to avoid extradition. “I decided to accept the expert panel’s opinion,” the judge said.
Manny Waks, an Australian Jewish activist who was sexually abused as a child, gave his reaction to Jewish News, saying: “Today’s monumental decision is a great outcome for justice.”
Founder of Kol V’Oz, an Israel-based organisation against child sexual abuse in the global Jewish community, Waks said he and other activists would “continue to do all we can to ensure Leifer is placed on a plane back to Australia”.
The psychologists’ damning assessment is not the first time that Leifer has been accused of faking mental illness. In 2018, video of her shot by a private investigator showed her laughing and enjoying a “normal” life at her West Bank settlement home.
Leifer’s case is being followed by thousands in both Israel and abroad, and had been heard in closed court, the defence team giving a closing statement in early April.
Ya’acov Litzman, who was until recently Israel’s health minister, was accused of pressing doctors to falsify psychiatric evaluations deeming Leifer mentally unfit. He denies any wrongdoing.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
