Malka Leifer: Nicole Meyer ‘hopes’ other victims come forward

Nicole Meyer, one of three Melbourne sisters who accused their former principal Malka Leifer of sexual abuse, says she hopes other alleged victims come forward.

Sisters Elly Sapper, Nicole Meyer and Dassi Erlich. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Nicole Meyer, one of three Melbourne sisters who accused their former principal of sexual abuse, says she hopes other alleged victims come forward after a jury found Malka Leifer guilty of rape and sexual offences against children.

On Monday, the former Adass Israel School teacher was convicted of 18 of 27 charges ­relating to offending against Ms Meyer’s sisters, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich, after a six-week trial in Victoria’s County Court.

All three sisters agreed the verdict vindicated their 15-year fight to have Leifer extradited from Israel after she fled Australia in 2008, but a civil judgment delivered by former Supreme Court judge Jack Rush in 2015 said there could be other victims.

Ms Meyer told The Australian she could understand why they may not want to come forward but hoped they would.

Malka Leifer. Picture: David Crosling

“I have hope that other victims will come forward in the ­future. I don’t know if that will happen … I really hope that some will,” she said. “It does completely uproot your life. I understand that side of it too.”

Speaking from Israel, Voice Against Child Sex Abuse chief Manny Waks – a key supporter of the three sisters – said the 18 guilty verdicts represented an “amazing day for justice” but doubted Leifer’s other possible victims would pursue the matter.

“They have had many opportunities to come forward and the reality is from what we know … these individuals still belong to the ultra-orthodox community,” he said. “The consequences to them and their families would be much too great to bear.

“If or when any other alleged victim comes forward then I’m sure the police will address it in the way it needs to be ­addressed.”

After spending more than a decade advocating with her sisters for Leifer to be extradited – she ultimately was in 2021 – Ms Meyer said it was difficult to reconcile the jury’s decision to find the former principal guilty of abusing her sisters but not guilty of molesting her.

“Leifer abused me through marriage and through my first pregnancy (between 2002 and 2008),” she said. “People don’t understand the abuse and the power imbalance. The jury didn’t get that context, they only got a limited amount.

“We’re constrained by a court system that doesn’t give us an opportunity to say our entire story. There was so much doubt and holes put into our story.

“It didn’t feel like I got a chance to say my full story in court. I think it’s so important for those who receive not guilty verdicts to get support.”

Leifer faced five charges relating to Ms Meyer, including separate alleged incidents of indecent assault she said took place in 2003 and of rape at a school camp and in Leifer’s office in 2006. She will next face court for a mention hearing at the end of April, before she is eventually sentenced.