Accused paedophile principal Malka Leifer on bail in Israel
Accused serial paedophile Malka Leifer has been granted bail in Israel as she fights extradition to Australia on child abuse charges.
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Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer, accused of sexually abusing female students, has been released from custody in Israel as her court matters continue.
Leifer appeared before the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday and was granted bail, Melbourne-based alleged victim Dassi Erlich said.
“Given that we are all aware that Leifer is a flight risk as well as the potential of her reoffending, this blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the Israeli community is outstanding,” she said in a statement to AAP, confirming the bail decision.
Ms Erlich has been fighting to bring Leifer back to Australia for eight years.
The case to try and bring the former principal of the Ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel school in Melbourne back to Australia to face 74 charges of rape and child sex abuse has met countless delays.
In five years of court hearings, 30 psychiatrists have already been involved in determining if Leifer is fit to face extradition trial.
Allegations of child sex abuse were first raised against Leifer in 2008 when she fled to her native Israel.
The continual delays in court and the findings that Israel’s Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman acted to have medical assessments altered in Leifer’s favour has raised question marks around Israel’s judiciary.
In August, Israeli police recommended Litzman be indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust, though Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit is continuing to allow the deputy minister to keep his job.
Psychiatrists are expected to submit a final report on Ms Leifer’s mental fitness in December.
Leifer will be released from custody in Israel on Friday this week if an appeal against the decision by a prosecutor fails.
Originally published as Accused paedophile principal Malka Leifer on bail in Israel