Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer, accused of sexually abusing female students at a Jewish school, will be released from custody in Israel as her court matters continue.
Leifer appeared before the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday and Judge Rom Vinograd will release her to house arrest in B’nei B’rak, abuse survivor advocate Manny Waks said.
That hearing was number 58 as the case to try and bring the former principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel school in Elsternwick in Melbourne’s south-east back to Australia to face 74 charges of rape and child sex abuse met countless delays.
There has been lengthy legal argument over Leifer’s fitness to be extradited to Australia to face criminal charges.
Mr Waks was in court for Wednesday’s proceedings and live blogged the unfolding events on Facebook.
He claimed Leifer’s sister’s house, where she will be under house arrest, was only 500 metres from two schools and six synagogues.
“If Leifer is genuinely unwell, she should be held in a medical facility or jail where she can be appropriately cared for until her extradition to Australia is approved,” Mr Waks said in a statement.
“This decision is an absolute travesty and continues to bring shame on the state of Israel.”
Melbourne sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, have been campaigning to have Leifer extradited to Australia.
Read the article by Christine McGinn and Sumeyya Ilanbey in The Sydney Morning Herald.