Accused paedophile Malka Leifer has lost her appeal in Israel’s Supreme Court against a finding that she is mentally fit to be extradited to Australia.
The ex-principal, 52, faces 74 charges of sexually assaulting female students during her time at the ultra Orthodox Adass Israel school in Elsternwick in Melbourne’s south-east.
In May, the Jerusalem District Court found Ms Leifer was fit to stand trial after a years-long battle to return her to Australia to face charges. She appealed that decision, which the Supreme Court unanimously rejected on Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The judgment paves the way for the extradition process to continue. The District Court will decide on September 21 whether Ms Leifer should be extradited, but she will have further avenues for appeal.
Dassi Erlich, who, along with her sisters Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer, has accused Ms Leifer of abuse said she was “beyond exhilerated” to hear the news.
“It means that there’s nothing stopping the judge handing down her decision on September 21,” Ms Erlich said.
“We were worried that this decision wouldn’t come … a decision we’ve been waiting only nine years for since we gave our statements to police.”
She said she was glad to see the end of Ms Leifer’s claims that she was unfit to stand trial or face extradition.