NEW YORK (VINnews) — Malka Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel school in Melbourne who sexually abused two sisters before fleeing to Israel and then being extradited back to Australia, was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in jail.
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Judge Mark Gamble said that Leifer had abused her position within Melbourne’s charedi community and her “insidious offending” had scarred the sisters for life.
Leifer, a mother of eight, was suspected of committing her crimes between 2004 and 2007.
According to the indictment, Leifer assaulted one of the sisters in 2006 after inviting her home to “sleep over for kallah lessons” — a kind of pre-wedding class that includes sexual education.
On other occasions, Leifer told the students she was preparing them to be wives, prosecutors told the court earlier this year.
“This will help you for your wedding night,” Leifer said after one sexual assault, according to Lewis.
“This is what is good for you,” she allegedly said during another incident.
Leifer later fled to Israel when rumors of her crimes started circulating in 2008 after one of the sisters told her therapist what had happened to her. In a protacted legal struggle to prevent her extradition, Leifer claimed mental incapacity before an Israeli court rejected her claims, leading eventually to her extradition in 2021.
Earlier this year, the court found her guilty on 18 of the 27 charges of sexual abuse levelled against her by three sisters- Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer.
A jury found her guilty of the crimes against Erlich and Sapper but acquitted her of the alleged crimes against Meyer.
The most serious convictions were for six counts of rape, each carrying a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
In a victim impact statement read out to the court on Thursday, Sapper said the abuse had left her feeling “utterly broken,” “ashamed” and haunted by “vivid flashbacks.”
“She continues to blame herself for allowing Ms Leifer to love her. She feels ashamed for not stopping the abuse at the time,” said Gamble, reading from the statement.
Leifer was impassive as she watched the sentencing via video link from a maximum security prison in Melbourne. Leifer never pleaded guilty and has maintained her innocence throughout the entire legal procedure. Gamble dubbed her a “serious sexual offender” who had shown “callous indifference” to the suffering of her victims.
Leifer must now serve at least 11 years and six months of the sentence before she can be considered for early release. As soon as she is released from a Victoria state prison, she will likely be deported to Israel.
Gamble deducted 2,069 days from her sentence for time already served in custody in Australia since she returned in January 2021 and for time spent in Israel in custody and under home arrest.
Manny Waks, who heads VoiCSA, a group that works to combat child sexual abuse in the global Jewish community, hailed the sentencing.
“Today’s conclusion to this trial sends a powerful message to victims and survivors: justice can be achieved even when the road is long and challenging. It also acts as a strong deterrent to perpetrators; no one is above the law and the authorities will pursue justice regardless of when the crimes are alleged to have occurred,” he said.
He also praised the Australian authorities for continuing to probe the involvement of the school in the crimes.
“We are pleased that Victoria Police is continuing to investigate the alleged criminal actions of the Adass Israel School leadership in facilitating Leifer’s evasion from justice in 2008 by spiriting her out of Australia to Israel in the darkness of night. We hope and expect that they, too, will be held to full account,” Waks said.
Justice was served regarding this defendant; however, in Israel, there were others who interfered with her extradition, and delayed it for years, with unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations, which were proven to be false. They should also face justice in Israel, for hindering prosecution.
The “Rabbonim” (רע בנים) who protected her should be joining her now.
Hoping this gives a measure of healing to the victims.
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Not the right way to do this
and no charges for her accomplice, mk litzman?
Why is her hair covered? Is she married?
Has a fund been setup to help her?
Once again an Antisemitic court is locking up a completely innocent Jew (we know she’s innocent because as many have pointed out the Frum don’t commit crimes due to our wonderful educational system).
HERE IS WHERE OUR PROBLEM LAYS
This sentence is justified, and a resonable one She will serve about 12 years in Prision. The problem is here in America that judges give such a VILE person…17 guilty verdics x 25 years – the Max, in other words “throw the key away”. Now look at this through the eyes of Rabbonim, or for that matter any other rational person, Yes it is a crime, yes it is extremely horrible and devistating to the victum, but the fact that a Judge, here in the US would throw them away for life – that makes it essentially a double crime. Yes, all of you who say they deserve to sit in a cage forever – just look at what they did and reason dictates different – give him a fair sentence, a fair shake, and leave your emotions at the door, make him pay for what he did, sit in jail for 10 years, You think it is easy being in a cage for 10 long years. Then they can go back to their families and children with shame and scorn from the rest of the community.
If I know that a judge would be an activist and kill the guy, hey, I am not turning him in, and so should not any leader or Rebbe. If I knew he will get a fair sentence and pay his price to society, then I will be the first to take such a person to the neares police station.
Here is the problem, when leaders come across such a case – why add to the crime already committed. The US sentencing system and for that matter the courts are a shame, basically we are the worst in the world. We have all the money, so Judges have no problem just being an activist and throwing people in jail, just to get him real good. Every Americsn should understand this – if they want to come for you, basically they can throw 90% of ameica in jail for half their life. Ex: You lied on your morgage aplication where you checked NO whan asked if you owe others money. That fraud on the books is 5-10 years. Who can’t they get. The question is are we really free?
Also, they can choose whom they want to prosecute. as an example it was wrong to attack the capital, but say they wanted to “overthrow the govermint” and give some 20 -25 year in jail. WRONG! Every other looter did the exact same thing in a typical Rodney King riot, and spent only several hour in a holding cell.
As much as I hate Nechemya Weberman, and he is a lowlife, but 100 years?? Don’t we see something wrong? What about Mr. Rubahskin, 30 years for employing the undocumented, with our domestic help are we not doing the same? Even this Nechemya bum for his crimes deserves 10 maybe 15 years, I know I am not the one to make that decision, all I am arguing, something is very wrong and we have to think twice before we turn in molesters, nor anyone else.
Now Activist Judges and prosectors in America can put Trump away for a grand total of 150 years for basically stupidity – He argued wrongfully the election was riggd, now we use mafia RICO laws. then oh boy, kept papers in his house and comprimised American security, give him another, lets see 40 years is nice, Something is real wrong with our system, and the funny thing is we think we are the best and just society.
Why is someone who educated so many students sit in prison just because of evidence from 3 sisters? You can find someone to accuse anyone in chinuch, unless there is some more evidence??