First pictures: Malka Leifer faces Melbourne court on sex abuse charges

Former fugitive teacher Malka Leifer has spent her first night in prison after evading the justice system for 13 years amid child sex abuse allegations.

The first photos of fugitive teacher Malka Leifer on Australian soil have been revealed 13 years after she fled the country amid child sex abuse allegations.

The former principal and accused peadophile was snapped as she was ushered into a large armoured police van at North Melbourne police station just before midday on Thursday.

Leifer’s hasty exit was made shortly after she was beamed into the Magistrates’ Court from a police cell where she faced 74 counts of child sex abuse.

Malka Leifer is taken from the North Melbourne Police Station into a police van after her video link court case. Picture: David Crosling.

During the short court hearing Leifer had worn a mask and buried her face with her hands.

But photos taken by News Corp show Leifer, who was wearing a black and white jumper and pale pink headcovering, had ditched the mask as she was loaded into the military-style vehicle less than an hour later.

Police had attempted to shield Leifer from the waiting media as she was taken to prison to begin her 14 day quarantine period.

During her hearing, Leifer requested “special arrangements” be made for her in custody.

Leifer, 54, fronted a Melbourne court via video link shortly after 10am on Thursday after landing in Australia overnight.

Leifer left the police station in a large black vehicle. Picture: David Crosling.

Wearing a mask and the same clothes and head covering she was photographed in as she boarded a plane in Israel on Monday, Ms Leifer remained silent throughout the brief administrative hearing.

Asked by Magistrate Johanna Metcalf if she could hear the court clearly, the accused peadophile refused to answer and an officer at North Melbourne police station was forced to answer for her.

The court heard Leifer had requested “special arrangements” while in custody to allow her to observe her strict religious beliefs.

Documents released by the court detail 74 alleged incidents of child sex abuse carried out by Leifer between January 2004 and March 2008.

Charges includes multiple counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual penetration of children in her care aged 16, 17 and 18.

The offending is alleged to have taken place in Elsternwick, Blampied, Rawson and Emerald.

Earlier, Magistrate Metcalf confirmed the charges relate to three complainants.

Malka Leifer in Tel Aviv. Picture: Ynet News

The former principal is accused of sexually abusing Melbourne sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper during her time as principal of Elsternwick’s Adass Israel School between 2001 and 2008.

Last year the women obtained a court order to publicly identify themselves and watched the court proceedings online on Wednesday.

Leifer, a mother of eight, fled Australia in 2008 and a request for extradition was lodged by Victoria Police in 2014.

It would take another seven years until Leifer was brought back to Australia in handcuffs.

Defence lawyer Tony Hargreaves said his client suffers “significant mental health issues” which required consistent medication.

“Prison authorities should be aware she has very strict religious beliefs and special arrangements need to be made for her to comply with those,” Mr Hargreaves added.

Leifer, who was officially charged with 74 counts of child sex abuse in March 2012, has maintained her innocence throughout six years of protracted court proceedings in Israel.

Prosecutor Phillip Raimondo said the prosecution will need four weeks to compile their brief of evidence before serving it on Leifer and her legal team.

Leifer will return to court on April 9 for committal mention where she will likely indicate whether she intends to fight the charges and proceed to trial or plead guilty.

She made no application for bail and will be moved from North Melbourne police station into prison today after which she will undergo a 14-day quarantine period.

Leifer boards a plane at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Picture: Ynet

The Australian reported her former school spent $353,965 on “Legal fees (re: teacher)” between 2013 and 2017, according to financial filings with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

It also spent $94,371 on “visiting therapists” between 2014 and 2016, as well as more than $25,000 on “child protection” in 2016 and 2017.

The 2016 financial report anticipated the school could face more claims.

“In the 2017 year, the school expects further legal action where the excess payable by the school could amount to maximum $25,000,” said the report. “Legal advice has been obtained and the school is co-operating with its insurers and legal advisers.”

Adass Israel synagogue president Benjamin Koppel said the group “fully supports” the legal process as it applied to the alle­gations, “and will do all that is requested by the authorities to assist in the processing of this case”.

“The safety and wellbeing of Adass Israel School students is our highest priority and responsibility, and we have zero tolerance for abuse of any kind,” said Mr Koppel, who has been in his role since before 2008. “While this case is before the courts, we are unable to comment specifically on the allegations or the details of the case at hand.

“We encourage anyone who feels affected by Mrs Leifer’s return to seek support, and have made professional counselling available on a free, strictly confidential basis to any member of our community who wishes to access it.”

Andrews government minister Martin Pakula — a former attorney-general who has Jewish heritage — welcomed Ms Leifer’s extradition on Wednesday.

“Certainly in my time as ­attorney-general, I had ­numerous conversations with our law enforcement community and the DPP about the efforts to bring Malka Leifer back to face court,” he said.

“I’m pleased that has finally occurred and I’m sure those people who have been agitating for her to return are very pleased that at long last her day in court will come.”