Lawyers ditch Malka
With a date set in court to stave off her extradition, alleged child sexual abuser Malka Leifer will not have her long-standing lawyers to represent her following their resignation from the case.
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
Manny Waks reports: Tal Gabay and Yehuda Fried have decided that they will not continue to represent [Leifer] because it is a “side issue to the long and ongoing process of questioning her mental fitness,” which they conducted.
This sudden resignation is an indication that Malka Leifer’s long-standing and prominent legal defence team expects the Supreme Court to uphold the District Court’s decision to extradite Leifer to Australia to belatedly face justice.
In the Supreme Court’s most recent ruling relating to Leifer’s mental fitness, the same three-panel of judges who will preside at the next appeal said that proceedings had dragged out ‘much beyond what is reasonable’. I therefore expect a prompt and unequivocal decision by the Supreme Court: that Malka Leifer must be extradited to Australia as soon as possible.
As I’ve repeatedly stated, it’s been clear to practically everyone following this case – including countless experts – that Leifer has taken the Israeli judicial system for a major ride. It’s time for this charade to finally end.
With Leifer’s legal avenues practically exhausted, we hope and expect that we now see her swiftly sent back to Australia where she will face her accusers.
Once that has occurred, we repeat our call for a full review to take place in Israel to find out why this particular case has dragged out so long and whether allegations of political interference are substantiated.
Again, we commend and continue to fully support Leifer’s courageous victims, Nicole, Dassi and Elly.”
The next hearing is at the Supreme Court of Israel on 3 December at 9am. The three-panel judge will hear the oral appeal by Leifer’s defence regarding the District Court’s decision to extradite Leifer to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse against three Melbourne complainants, Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper.
