Revealed: alleged crimes of principal Malka Leifer

Police allege former Jewish school principal Malka Leifer committed a litany of sexual offences against students between 2003 and 2007.

Malka Leifer in 2006, when she was principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, southeast Melbourne.

Police allege former Jewish school principal Malka Leifer committed a litany of sexual ­offences against students, including at a school camp, in a school ­office, at the library and at her home between 2003 and 2007, as the criminal trial against her gets under way in Victoria.

Details of accusations against Ms Leifer were outlined in an ­indictment released by County Court judge Mark Gamble after a jury was empanelled on ­Tuesday.

Ms Leifer, 56, has been charged with 29 offences that ­allegedly occurred when she was the principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel School in Elsternwick – located in Victoria’s southeastern suburbs.

Ms Leifer was recruited from Israel in 2000 to lead the school.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies the alle­gations made against her.

The indictment reveals that Ms Leifer allegedly committed ­offences that ranged from in­appropriately touching children to raping them.

According to the indictment, Ms Leifer allegedly raped an ­unnamed person at Blampied – a town about 120km northwest of Melbourne – “during the first night at camp” when she was aware they were “not consenting or might not be consenting”.

Further, Ms Leifer is accused of the same “during the day at camp” between June 18 and June 22, 2006.

Between June 22 and August 10, 2006, police say that Ms Leifer raped an unnamed person “in (the) office at school” in ­Elsternwick.

She also allegedly took part in an act of sexual penetration with a 16 or 17-year-old child “to whom she was not ­married, and who was under her care, supervision or authority” on the last night of winter camp in year 11 at Rawson, which is 170km east of Melbourne, between June 20 and June 25, 2004.

A separate charge states the former principal raped an unnamed person “whilst sleeping at Malka Leifer’s house and there was a baby in the room” in ­Elsternwick between January 26 and August 29, 2006.

During the same timeframe, police say, Ms Leifer raped an ­unnamed person who was “not consenting or might not be ­consenting” after “Malka Leifer arranged for (redacted) to sleep over for kallah lessons”.

Kallah lessons are usually ­conducted before marriage to help brides prepare for their ­wedding and thereafter. Police also say that on ­December 11, 2006, Ms Leifer “wilfully committed an indecent act with or in the presence of ­(redacted), a 16 or 17-year-old child to whom she was not married and who was under her care, supervision or authority” when she inappropriately touched that person “after the play”.

Another charge alleges Ms Leifer used a sex toy to ­sexually assault an unnamed ­person in ­Elsternwick between September 10 and December 19, 2007, when she also allegedly compelled that person to in­appropriately touch her. Other charges allege Ms Leifer indecently ­assaulted an unnamed person at her house “when her daughter was home” in 2004, that she ­indecently assaulted an unnamed person when they “stayed back from the school excursion” in May 2005 and assaulted an ­unnamed person “in indecent circumstances” in “the library” between June and December 2005. The final charge, No.29, alleges Ms Leifer raped an unnamed person when they “went to tidy Malka Leifer’s house” at Elsternwick between September 10 and December 19, 2007.

Opening arguments will be delivered on Wednesday, and possibly Thursday, before a ­complainant is expected to give evidence in closed court.

Key details previously reported about Ms Leifer’s case have been suppressed and cannot be published in new stories. The trial is expected to last about six weeks.