Date set for Malka Leifer’s sentence
Malka Leifer will soon learn her fate after a marathon ordeal bringing her to justice for child sexual abuse.
Malka Leifer, a former school principal, who is wanted on 74 charges of sexual abuse in Melbourne, Australia, is led out of the Jerusalem District Court. Jerusalem, Jun 14, 2018. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS
The former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal was this year convicted of raping and indecently assaulting Melbourne sisters Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper when they were students at the Adass Israel School.
Leifer, a 56-year-old mother of eight, was principal and head of religion at the school until she was sacked by the board in 2008 when allegations first came to light.
Within days she fled to Israel and after lengthy extradition proceedings, returned to Australia in January 2020.
Leifer on Friday faced a pre-sentence hearing at the County Court in Melbourne, where Judge Mark Gamble set her sentencing date for August 24.
Her barrister Ian Hill KC described her time in home detention as punitive, saying she was confined to a space away from her husband and children.
Mr Hill conceded she was allowed to have visits but said there were religious duties and functions she missed, and she was under constant supervision in home detention.
Prosecutor Justin Lewis argued Leifer feigned mental illness to avoid extradition, so the weight the judge put on her more than 600 days in home detention should be diminished.
A jury convicted Leifer of 18 offences, but she was found not guilty of nine charges, including five relating to the siblings’ older sister, Nicole Meyer.
Ms Meyer and Ms Sapper were at court on Friday to witness Judge Gamble set a sentencing date for Leifer.
The sisters were overwhelmed by the prospect the proceedings could soon come to an end.
“It might actually be the end of an absolutely enormous journey,” Ms Meyer said.
“Even thinking it’s possible is so overwhelming, but also exciting very slightly because we know that day is going to be very difficult as well.
“We hope that we’ll get justice.”
Judge Gamble expected Leifer’s sentence would take him a lengthy amount of time to hand down.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP
It’s pretty paltry, reading Leifer’s barrister’s comments. In relation to the reality of the charges now proven against her, to complain of religious functions and duties she’s missed, and time away from her husband, is simply ridiculous. What does Hill expect, that all these things should be granted her just because she’s religious?