Malka Leifer, former principal of the Orthodox Jewish Adass Israel school in Melbourne, has been found guilty of sexually abusing two former students.
A jury in the County Court of Victoria found Leifer guilty of 18 rape and sexual assault charges relating to sisters Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich. The jury cleared Leifer of nine charges, including all relating to a third sister, Nicole Meyer, and some relating to Erlich.
Leifer’s trial was a long-term goal for Victorian and Australian authorities. Allegations of sexual assault were initially made against Leifer in late 2007 or early 2008. She fled to Israel in March 2008 and was finally extradited to Australia in January 2021.
