Principal Malka Leifer ‘exploited at-risk students’

Malka Leifer allegedly groomed three teenage sisters to sexually exploit them with behaviour that escalated from low-level to serious and manipulated her victims, a Victorian court has heard.

Malka Leifer knew her alleged victims were ‘neglected at home’, a court has heard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Paul Tyquin

Malka Leifer allegedly groomed three teenage sisters to sexually exploit them with behaviour that escalated from low-level to serious and manipulated her victims, a Victorian court has heard.

In his final closing remarks, Crown prosecutor Justin Lewis urged the jury to convict Ms Leifer, a former principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel School, of 27 offences.

They relate to alleged abuse reported by Melbourne-based Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer — who have given The Australian permission to identify them — which occurred between 2003 and 2007, when they were students and graduate teachers at the Jewish school.

Mr Lewis told the Victorian County Court that Ms Leifer knew the girls were “neglected at home” and viewed her as a respected authority figure so she manipulated them.

“She knew that they were vulnerable and she used that knowledge to exploit them,” he said.

“She manipulated their emotions while abusing them for her own sexual gratification.”

Mr Lewis said the prosecution’s case showed the accused used her position in the community to allegedly abuse them.

“These sisters had a miserable home life and so far that the accused was concerned, they were ripe for the picking,” he said.

“They were receiving apparent love and attention from one of the most revered … people they knew.”

Meanwhile, Ms Leifer’s defence barrister, Ian Hill KC, told the jury they should consider his client has a “good character” after the chief police investigator, Danielle Newton, gave evidence she had no prior convictions.

The court had previously heard from Esther Spiegelman, a ­former general studies stream head at the Adass Israel School, who said Ms Leifer told her she thought what was happening to her was “unfair” following a meeting to say goodbye.

Sharon Bromberg, a teacher at the school for more than 40 years, previously agreed that Ms Leifer appeared to be a “hardworking teacher and principal”.

“Together with the positive evidence about (Ms Leifer), ­particularly from Mrs Spiegelman and Mrs Bromberg … you can find that she was of good character and it is generally ­believed that a person of good character is unlikely to commit a criminal offence,” Mr Hill said.

As well, the defence barrister sought to cast the three complainants as unreliable in evidence they gave that was closed to the public and members of the media.

Mr Hill said Ms Meyer had told the jury she did not “recall” some ­details to questions more than 130 times, Ms Erlich had said it 160 times and Ms Sapper had said it on more than 120 occasions.

“This whole case depends upon acceptance of what (the) complainants say beyond reasonable doubt,” Mr Hill said.

He said Ms Leifer was ­“instrumental” in bringing external speakers and non-Adass community members into the school in defence to claims the sisters could be taken advantage of because they were raised in the closed community with no access to television or news.

“It is not primitive (the school and community),” he said.

Mr Hill – who also said police did not “conduct a proper ­investigation” – will continue to deliver his closing remarks on Friday.