Israel requests proceedings against Malka Leifer be expedited
The Director of the Department of International Affairs, Office of the State Attorney, Ministry of Justice has submitted a request to Judge Chana Lomp of the Jerusalem District Court asking that the extradition proceedings against Malka Leifer be expedited.
Malka Leifer in court June 14 Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS
In a media release, the Director Yuval Kaplinsky stated: “Pursuant to an extradition request submitted by the Australian authorities, on August 17, 2014, the Department of International Affairs, Office of the State Attorney submitted a petition to the Jerusalem District Court (hereinafter: “the court”) to declare Malka Leifer (hereinafter: “Leifer”) extraditable to Australia. Leifer was wanted in Australia to stand trial for sexual offences committed against three girls while she was their high school teacher and principal in an ultra-orthodox school in Melbourne.
Despite scheduling numerous hearings, the actual petition was never argued before the court since prior to each hearing, Leifer would be hospitalized for psychiatric reasons. On June 2, 2016 the court suspended the proceedings in light of an expert opinion submitted to the court by the Jerusalem District Psychiatrist in which he stated that Leifer was in the midst of a psychiatric episode and therefore was unfit to stand trial. The court further ordered that Leifer continue to receive outpatient psychiatric care.
At the prosecution’s request and following an Israel Police investigation, which uncovered evidence, indicating that Leifer was faking her mental incompetence, on February 12, 2018 the court renewed the proceedings against Leifer.
The court heard from seven psychiatric experts regarding Leifer’s mental competency, three appointed by the Jerusalem District Psychiatrist and four on behalf of Leifer, as well as from the Jerusalem District Psychiatrist himself. The court then ordered that the Tel Aviv District Psychiatrist appoint a panel of three additional psychiatrists to reassess Leifer mental status and her competency to stand trial.
On January 9, 2020 the psychiatric panel submitted their expert opinion to the court in which they unanimously and unequivocally determined that Leifer was mentally fit to stand trial and that she had been faking her mental incompetency all along.
The prosecution believes that the psychiatric panel’s definitive conclusions have removed the obstacles that stood in the way of any significant progress in this case, thus enabling the court to bring this case to a timely and swift conclusion.
The psychiatric panel’s findings lead to the inevitable conclusion that over the past five years, the court and the mental health system have fallen victim to a fraud perpetrated by Leifer and her supporters. The decision to suspend the proceedings as well as the repeated delays were as a result of these fraudulent claims and prevented the Israeli authorities from fulfilling their obligations toward the Australian authorities. The prosecution, therefore, requests that the court adopt the psychiatric panel’s findings and schedule a hearing, as well as set a date for a final decision regarding the extradition petition, as soon as possible.”
Malka Leifer is wanted by police in Melbourne to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.
The Jerusalem District will consider the expert opinions lodged on January 9 tomorrow (Tuesday).
Victim of the alleged abuse Dassi Erlich has spearheaded the campaign to bring Leifer back to Australia to face justice. She said: “The statement is worth reading.
The psychiatric panel’s findings lead to the inevitable conclusion that over the past five years, the court and the mental health system have fallen victim to a fraud perpetrated by Leifer and her supporters”
Yes!
Leifer manipulated us & then she manipulated the system. #nomore.”
Child sexual abuse advocate Manny Waks said: “This is further encouraging news in what has been a prolonged injustice. I hope that this next phase will pass smoothly and expeditiously and that we’ll soon see Malka Leifer on a plane back to Australia to face justice.”
It is a relief to know that the Israeli Courts will now consider the extradition request.
I note the findings of the psychiatric panel that Leifer has been faking her condition all the time.
My question now is what if any action is contemplated against those who assisted in this faking?