Malka Leifer, Victorian Jewish school principal accused of abusing students, refused bail in Israel
ABC
Adam Harvey
19 February 2109
Malka Leifer will remain in custody until her hearing next month. (Supplied)
An Israeli court has denied bail to former Melbourne school principal and accused paedophile Malka Leifer, who is fighting extradition to Australia on charges she sexually abused girls at the orthodox Adass Israel school.
Ms Leifer has been charged with 74 counts of child sexual abuse.
A judge at the Jerusalem District Court dismissed arguments that Ms Leifer's life was in immediate danger due to ill health if she remained in prison.
Judge Ram Winograd ruled that Ms Leifer should remain in custody pending another health assessment, ahead of an extradition hearing on March 6.
Both the prosecution and defence had argued that Ms Leifer shouldn't have another medical check. The prosecutor said that it wasn't needed and the extradition case should proceed as quickly as possible, while defence lawyer Tal Gabbai said it would make her condition worse.
"(Ms) Leifer has been getting unsuitable psychiatric treatment for over one year now, and we are certain that another psychiatric assessment would make her suffer even more," he said.
This bail hearing for Ms Leifer was the first since it was revealed that an Israeli Government minister was under investigation for trying to block her extradition to Australia.
Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is accused of pressuring departmental staff to issue medical reports favourable to her case.
Leifer ill-health claim a 'tactic'
Two of the women allegedly abused by Ms Leifer, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, gave a media conference to the large press pack in Jerusalem via smartphone, from Melbourne. Ms Erlich said the argument of ill-health was a tactic to avoid extradition.
"I heard this argument a hundred times before, and they'll keep saying it to try to get bail," said Ms Erlich.
Malka Leifer is wanted in Australia on 74 charges of child sex abuse. (ABC News: Sophie McNeill)
Lawyers for Ms Leifer claim her health was being threatened by the medication she was taking in prison.
Manny Waks, an advocate for the Melbourne sisters, said: "Well, as I understood it they were saying on the one side if she doesn't take the medication her life will be in danger, on the other hand if she takes the medication(s) they are so powerful they can cause death."
Watch Australian Story's two-part investigation into the Malka Leifer scandal from her alleged victims speaking out, to the undercover operation that revealed her sham in Israel.
Ms Leifer's legal team came to court armed with a rabbi and the principals of two girls' schools who had offered to supervise her if she were freed.
Another supporter of the sisters, Shana Aaronson, from the group Jewish Community Watch, said she found this particularly galling.
"Again that just demonstrated, if nothing else, just by the nature of who these two women were that offered to take her in, women who are school principals, responsible for girls' education in very large Hassidic communities... for the wellbeing of young girls — considering what she's facing charges for — that's pretty mind boggling," she said.
Originally published at ABC.
Another supporter of the sisters, Shana Aaronson, from the group Jewish Community Watch, said she found this particularly galling.
"Again that just demonstrated, if nothing else, just by the nature of who these two women were that offered to take her in, women who are school principals, responsible for girls' education in very large Hassidic communities... for the wellbeing of young girls — considering what she's facing charges for — that's pretty mind boggling," she said.
Originally published at ABC.