Accused paedophile Malka Leifer has arrived back in Australia and is expected to face a Melbourne court on Thursday after her extradition from Israel.
Ms Leifer touched down in Melbourne on Wednesday night, having boarded a plane in Israel on Monday, following last month’s ruling by the Supreme Court of Israel that the 52-year-old return to Melbourne to face prosecution.
Victoria Police vehicles were on the tarmac of terminal two at Melbourne Airport from about 8.30pm, preparing for the arrival of Ms Leifer’s plane.
Moments before police were expected to take Ms Leifer into custody, authorities drove their cars around the corner out of view of the media.
The former principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick is accused of sexually abusing three of her then students between 2001 and 2008. Ms Leifer, who was extradited on 74 charges, has long maintained she is innocent.
Ms Leifer fled to Israel in 2008 when the allegations were first aired. The Israeli court’s decision in December to dismiss her appeal against extradition ended a six-year legal fight to have her return to face court in Melbourne.
Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter said Ms Leifer’s arrival concluded a long-running process to see her returned to Australia.
Read the article by Adam Cooper and David Estcourt in The Age.