JERUSALEM — A former principal of a Jewish women’ faculty in Australia accused of sexually assaulting her pupils may be extradited to face trial there, a court docket in Israel dominated on Monday, bringing a yearslong authorized saga that has strained relations between the 2 international locations to a possible shut.
Australia has been searching for the extradition of the previous principal, Malka Leifer, for practically six years on 74 prices of sexual assault on former college students within the faculty. On the coronary heart of the case are allegations of three sisters who say they have been abused whereas attending the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel Faculty in Melbourne within the early 2000s.
“It is a victory for justice!” Dassi Erlich, one of many sisters, mentioned in a publish on Fb. “A victory not only for us, however for all survivors. Exhaling years of holding our breath!”
Ms. Leifer’s attorneys in Israel had argued that she was mentally unfit to face trial, however after years of personal and police investigations and examinations by a number of psychiatric panels, the Israeli courts ultimately dominated that she had faked psychological sickness.
Ms. Leifer now has 30 days through which to enchantment the choice to Israel’s Supreme Courtroom. The Israeli justice minister should approve any extradition request.
In an interview by cellphone, Ms. Erlich, who was together with her two sisters, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer, mentioned they have been all elated and relieved on the choice.
“To have so many twists and turns, and cover-ups, it’s made this second large for us,” she mentioned. “We’re all simply taking it in.”
Ms. Leifer, an Israeli citizen, moved to Australia in 2001, in keeping with court docket paperwork. The accusations relate to a interval between 2004 and 2008, whereas she was principal of the varsity, in keeping with the Israeli judicial authorities.
She fled to Israel in 2008 when the accusations towards her first emerged. Australia formally requested her extradition in 2014.
After dozens of hearings, the Jerusalem District Courtroom decided in Might that Ms. Leifer was fit to face extradition proceedings following earlier rulings that she had been feigning psychological incompetence for years.
“At present is a crucial and important day for the rule of regulation, for worldwide cooperation and most significantly for individuals who have been victims of Malka Leifer’s crimes,” Israel’s Justice Ministry mentioned in an announcement launched after Monday’s ruling.
The assertion added that Ms. Leifer had “made each effort to delay the proceedings and keep away from extradition, together with repeated makes an attempt to persuade the court docket that she was not competent to bear extradition proceedings” however that the court docket had lastly put an finish to these efforts.
Ms. Leifer’s attorneys, Tal Gabai and Yehuda Fried, issued their very own assertion, vowing to contest the choice within the Supreme Courtroom.
“At present’s choice of the District Courtroom shouldn’t be the ultimate phrase,” the assertion learn, including that there have been critical reservations about Ms. Leifer’s skill to face trial. It additionally famous that jail service specialists have been nonetheless assessing her psychological state and that she was receiving “important antipsychotic remedy” within the jail the place she is being held.
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Manny Waks, the top of Kol V’Oz, an Israeli group that works on behalf of Jewish survivors of kid intercourse abuse, famous that Israel’s Supreme Courtroom had to date dominated in favor of the prosecution all through the Leifer case and mentioned it was “merely a matter of time” earlier than she was despatched to Australia.
“I’m nonetheless hopeful that it will occur by the tip of 2020,” he mentioned in an announcement. “We’ll proceed to do all the things we are able to to make sure justice prevails.”
Ms. Meyer, one other of the sisters who’ve accused Ms. Leifer of assault, mentioned she hoped different sexual abuse survivors would discover energy of their persistence.
“We didn’t hand over for justice,” she mentioned. “It was so exhausting alongside the best way.”
Damien Cave contributed reporting from Sydney, Australia.
