Israeli President refuses to meet alleged victims of Malka Leifer

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has refused to meet victims of ­alleged sex abuser Malka Leifer during a brief visit to Australia.

Dassi Erlich. left, with her sister Nicole Meyer. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has refused to meet victims of ­alleged sex abuser Malka Leifer during a brief visit to Australia.

The former principal of the Adass Israel ultra-Orthodox Jewish school in Melbourne has fought for nearly six years to avoid extradition by claiming she is mentally unfit to participate in court proceedings.

Dassi Erlich, one of three sisters Ms Leifer is alleged to have groomed and exploited for sex in Melbourne, said Mr Rivlin “has made it very clear that he doesn’t want to see us”.

“It really feels like the Israeli government doesn’t care about this case at all,” she said.

The extradition case was ­adjourned last month to allow defence lawyers to prepare their cross-examination of a panel of psychiatrists that had reversed previous findings that Ms Leifer was unfit for court.

Eldest sister Nicole Meyer flew back to Israel on Monday, saying it was more important for her to be in court than to meet Mr Rivlin. She said she hoped the judge would see Ms Leifer’s ­alleged victims as people rather than names on a list.

Ms Meyer also said Mr Rivlin had limited powers. “What he possibly can do is speak to pressure the court to getting court dates happening more frequently,” she said. “To not allow as many delays. It’s a really big shame that he didn’t feel it was important enough to meet us.”

Ahead of a lunch on Monday with Mr Rivlin at Government House in Melbourne, Premier Daniel Andrews said he had written to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the case. “He’s responded to my letter. The Israeli government knows with absolute clarity what my position, the position of my government and the position of Victorians is, in that she should come home here and face the very serious charges,” he said.

Ms Leifer was arrested in 2014, having fled to Israel in 2008 to escape the scandal that would result in 74 charges of sexual assault being filed against her by Victoria Police.

In an interview with The Australian Jewish News, Mr Rivlin said he understood how painful the case was.

“The professional opinion of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the State Prosecutor’s Office is that the ­extradition should be carried out as soon as possible,” he said. “I am confident that Israel does not allow those who have committed crimes to avoid justice.”

Manny Waks, an advocate for Kol v’Oz, a Jewish organisation combating child sex abuse, said he had emphasised the significance of a meeting to a member of Mr Rivlin’s senior staff last week.

“This was a basic expectation of so many people in Australia, not least the girls themselves, who made numerous formal and informal requests to meet the President,” he said.

“This trip was a unique and timely opportunity for President Rivlin to take some much-­needed positive steps in addressing this ongoing injustice.

“It’s most regrettable that President Rivlin found the time to meet with a range of other ­locals, and to participate in a range of activities, while he couldn’t find the time to meet with Nicole, Dassi and Elly. It seems President Rivlin has his priorities wrong on this trip.”