Leifer accused of new incidents in prison

Former Adass principal and convicted sex offender Malka Leifer is accused of new offences against a young woman on camera inside Melbourne’s women’s maximum-security prison.

Leifer was sentenced to 15 years of prison for repeated sexual abuse against young students at the Adass school. She fled to Israel, avoiding justice for 13 years, from 2008 until she was finally successfully extradited to Melbourne in 2021.

It was reported earlier in 2025 that Leifer had kissed the young con-woman Samantha Azzopardi while inside the protection unit at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Deer Park in far western Melbourne. Azzopardi is known for posing as a schoolgirl to obtain money from her victims.

Leifer has been described as a loner in prison but spent a lot of time with Azzopardi when the latter entered the prison. Azzopardi allegedly acts much younger than her age of 36. Samantha Azzopardi has carried out a series of cons, including several that involve her dressing up as a vulnerable schoolgirl.

Leifer is now in solitary confinement in the Murray Unit, due to an alleged incident in the hallway in July with a much younger Aboriginal inmate, which apparently occurred full view of CCTV cameras. She is now confined to a tiny cell for 23 hours a day where she cannot mix with other inmates.

Solitary confinement is subject to daily lockdowns with some inmates being locked in their cells for 24 hours per day. Leifer’s time outside of her cell, will be a 20-minute visit to the yard or a trip to the loungeroom with a non-functional television.

The former principal is allegedly disliked in prison because she is reportedly “arrogant and entitled”.

Victims advocate Manny Waks told J-Wire, “The reports of Leifer allegedly sexually assaulting a young female fellow prisoner is both shocking and unsurprising. Leifer has never acknowledged or accepted responsibility for her ongoing sexual assault at the Adass school against young girls.”

“Hopefully Leifer will be held to full account for her additional alleged sexual crimes. My thoughts are with her victims, who may be triggered as a result of these new reports.”

Sisters Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich outside the County Court after their former teacher Malka Leifer was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Leifer’s victims said the details of Leifer’s alleged relationship with Azzopardi was deeply concerning.

Former Leifer victim Nicole Meyer said, “I just hope the community or members of her family have a deep hard think about reading these stories and maybe, just maybe, start to believe that Malka Leifer did actually abuse us.”

Nicole’s sister and fellow victim Elly Sappers said the situation proved that Leifer would never change, saying “I guess part of me always wanted to believe there was some remorse, some understanding of her wrongdoing. Obviously that belief has diminished now, but mostly, I feel defeated and helpless at the knowledge there will be many other young vulnerable girls in the future that she will groom and take advantage of.”

Dassi Erlich told J-Wire, “We fought for years to stop her from ever hurting another child, and yet here she is – why is she still in a position to harm? How are the systems meant to protect others from her still failing?“

Filmmaker Adam Kamien is releasing his documentary on the Leifer case titled Surviving Malka Leifer at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The documentary looks into the youth of her victims and the brave campaign they led to hold Leifer accountable.

 

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