ISRAEL
J-Wire
February 22, 2016 by J-Wire Staff
At a hearing in the Jerusalem District Court Sunday the Judge issued a ruling that Malka Leifer, former principal of the Adass Yisroel Girls School in Melbourne, accused of sexual abuse, be re-evaluated by a State psychiatrist.
Her fight to avoid extradition to Australia to stand trial has dragged on for 18 months. She has so far successfully evaded being sent back because of alleged panic attacks every time a court hearing has been set. This time, her defence lawyer unsuccessfully argued to have the case dismissed because of his client’s medical condition. However on this occasion the judge rejected the plea and ordered another evaluation by a state psychiatrist which will be presented to the court on 20 March at which time he will decide on if and how the case should proceed.
The State prosecutor maintained that Malka Leifer’s panic attacks were designed to permanently postpone her return to Australia and that the question of whether she was fit to stand trial was a matter for the Australian courts to decide.
The former principal at Melbourne’s Adass Israel girls’ school fled Australia in 2008 ahead of formal complaints.
Although this case has been virtually ignored by the Israeli media in the past, it now seems that local support groups of sexual abuse s are rallying behind the victims and demanding that the matter be speedily resolved.
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