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Alleged sexual abuse victims of Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer take extradition fight to Israel

By Sophie Mcneill
Australian Broadcast Corporation
October 26, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-26/victims-of-melbourne-school-principal-launch-extradition-fight/9087280

Sisters Nicole Mayer, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich are in Israel to campaign for Malka Leifer's extradition.

Malka Leifer is accused of molesting students at a Jewish school in Melbourne.

The sisters are hoping to raise awareness of the case in Israel.

For the last three years, Malka Leifer has been hiding out in Israel avoiding extradition to Australia, and now her victims have come to demand her return.

"It is a bit nerve-racking and scary but at the same time I feel proud of myself," Elly Sapper said.

The 28-year-old is one of the ex-students who are alleging the former school principal abused them.

She has come to Israel with her two sisters, also alleged victims, to launch a campaign demanding Ms Leifer return to face court in Melbourne.

"I want them to really understand what we are going through and that every day this lady is running free, running wild, it's really traumatic for us," Ms Sapper said.

Ms Leifer is wanted by Victorian police on 74 charges of child sexual abuse including indecent assault and rape, allegedly committed while she was the principal of the Adass Israel ultra-orthodox Jewish girls' school in Melbourne.

But Ms Leifer has avoided every single one of her extradition hearings in the last three years, claiming she suffers from panic attacks and anxiety.

Australian officials were then shocked last year when an Israeli judge halted extradition proceedings while the former principal underwent a psychiatric treatment regime.

Elly Sapper's sister Dassi Erlich said it had been traumatic watching the case be plagued by delays.

"It's been absolutely devastating. Knowing that she's been able to play the system," Ms Erlich said.

In May, Ms Erlich and her sisters were horrified to learn Ms Leifer had been spotted out and about in Israel at a religious festival, appearing to enjoy a normal life despite her claim to be too unwell to attend court.

"We do feel very let down by the legal system here," Ms Erich said.

"That [she] has somehow managed to put her anxiety attacks and panic attacks ahead of the trauma that she has caused."

Older sister Nicole Mayer said she and her sisters hoped to raise awareness in Israel of the case and the failure to extradite Ms Leifer.

"I'm just really hoping we will be able to leave Israel with something accomplished," Ms Mayer said.

"If that doesn't happen I won't know where to turn next."

On Wednesday, the sisters took their fight to Israel's parliament, demanding answers and trying to persuade Israeli politicians to take up their cause.

Opposition member Michal Biran was among the members who pledged to try to get the case reviewed.

"I hope the pressure will bring the judicial system and the health system to reconsider their decisions," she said.

The parliamentarian said it appeared to her that the former principal was manipulating the legal system.

"We can see the way she's hospitalising herself like two days before a hearing, and then getting out two days afterwards," Ms Biran said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who will visit Israel next week, said he would raise the case with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely defended the delays in the case, telling the ABC the Israeli Government was already doing all it could to see that the extradition request is carried out.

"The Israeli Government is taking it very seriously," Ms Hotovely said.

"We are doing our best in order to make sure this woman goes through a trial in Australia, this is our goal. We have no interest in having people like that here."




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