Malka Leifer had ‘tendency to exploit teens for sexual activity’

A crown prosecutor says accused pedophile principal Malka Leifer had a ‘tendency’ to engage in sexual activities with young women who were students at her school

A court sketch of Malka Leifer.

A crown prosecutor says accused pedophile principal Malka Leifer had a “tendency” to engage in sexual activities with young women who were students at her school, and took advantage of their vulnerability and her position of authority.

Delivering closing remarks to the jury after a trial of about four weeks, Justin Lewis reviewed key parts of the evidence presented on the 27 charges of which Ms Leifer has been accused.

Melbourne sisters Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer - who have given The Australian permission to identify them - alleged the principal abused them as students and when they were graduate teachers at the ultra-­orthodox Adass Israel School between 2003 and 2007. Ms Leifer has denied the allegations.

Mr Lewis rehashed snippets of evidence they gave in closed court, which the media had not been able to access until Wednesday.

In reviewing charges one to five that relate to Ms Meyer, Mr Lewis said in 2006 the former principal raped her in her office in what Ms Meyer described as a “very frenzied” way. At another time, Ms Leifer “molested (Ms Meyer) with one hand while giving a baby a bottle with another”.

Ms Erlich alleged on one occasion during “private lessons” at Ms Leifer’s home in 2004, Ms Leifer was indecently assaulting Ms Erlich on the couch by touching her breasts but they were interrupted by “footsteps”, the court heard.

And in 2007 on the night of a school play, Ms Leifer came into Ms Sapper’s dressing room and closed the door. She blocked the door and started kissing Ms Sapper, the court heard. Ms Leifer was in the front row during the performance and “winked” at Ms Sapper.

On another occasion in 2007 at Ms Leifer’s home, Mr Lewis said Ms Sapper in her evidence revealed she asked Ms Leifer to “stop” as she raped her. She recalled hearing the accused “breathing heavily”.

Ms Sapper was also compelled to sexually penetrate Ms Leifer, the court heard.

Mr Lewis told the jury, the crown “asserts the accused has a tendency to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at school”.

“And when those same girls were student leavers at the school, to engage in sexual activities with them, and to take advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance in sexual matters, and her position of authority, in order to do so,” he said.

He also said he believed the defence would try to emphasise inconsistencies in the three sisters‘ evidence, but urged the jury to consider them as credible witnesses. “(The witnesses) are human beings. They are not computers,” he said.

Mr Lewis said the sisters also spoke well about Ms Leifer, despite their accusations. “Not everything they said about her was damning,” he said. The defence is expected to deliver closing remarks on Thursday.