Australian ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal Malka Leifer, 56, was sentenced to up to 15 years in Jail after she was found guilty of sexually abusing two high school students, sisters Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, according to local media reports.
Leifer was convicted earlier this year of 18 charges of sexual abuse. The charges included rape, indecent assault, sexual penetration of a child, and committing an indecent act with a child.
Leifer has maintained that she is innocent. She was acquitted of nine other charges, including five against the siblings’ older sister Nicole Meyer. The media said that Leifer cried during the sentencing.
As reported by local media, County Court Judge Mark Gamble of the Victorian County Court set a non-parole period of 11 and a half years. However, considering the time Leifer has already served, she will be eligible for parole in under six years.
The offences occurred during her time as menaheles at the Adass Israel School in Melbourne.
Leifer fled to Israel in 2008 after rumors of her guilt began to surface in the local Jewish community. She had to be extradited to Australia to face the aforementioned charges. During this process, she spent 1,129 days in Israeli custody and 940 days in Australian custody before sentencing. The judge reportedly took these days into account when handing down the sentence.
It took around 16 years from the time Erlich made the first accusation until Leifer was brought to justice.
Leifer’s victims
Leifer was found guilty of abusing the sisters, who were under her care from 2003-2007 at the Adass Israel School. The students would continue to be abused once they had become student teachers, as well. They were between the ages of 16 and 18 and 19 and 17 and 18 at the time, respectively.
The judge read a statement from one of the victims stating that “[Leifer] knew a lot of things about me and implied if I said anything she would share those things about my home life, which was a big shame to me at the time.”
During her sentencing, Gamble said that Leifer “has no insight and no remorse, to date she has not sought or received any professional treatment or counselling in relation to her offending.” He also said that “to have sexually abused the two complainants as she did, while a teacher and a principal, amounted to a significant breach of the trust that the students and the school placed in her.”
Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler said, “We stand by all of the survivors of Leifer’s abuse, and hope today will bring a measure of justice for them. The courage, dignity and determination of Dasi, Nicole and Elly inspired our whole community.”
