Attorney-General Christian Porter says former teacher Malka Leifer should face an Australian court after Israel signed an extradition order to send her to Australia to face charges of child sex abuse.
Ms Leifer will have 60 days to surrender to Australian authorities once she formally confirms she will not challenge the latest decision in Israel’s Supreme Court to send her back to Australia.
Israel’s Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn said on Wednesday that it was Israel’s “moral responsibility” to extradite Leifer shortly after signing the order to extradite the former Melbourne school principal to Australia.
Mr Nissenkorn signed the order a day after Israel’s Supreme Court rejected what appears to be Leifer’s final appeal.
Mr Porter said he welcomed the latest development, adding the allegations against Ms Leifer were very serious.
“Ms Leifer is wanted to stand trial in Victoria on 74 counts of child sexual abuse,” he said. “These are extremely serious allegations which should be heard within the Victorian judicial system. After many years, it now appears that is close to becoming a reality.”
Ms Leifer, 53, faces 74 counts of sexual assault in Victoria related to accusations by three sisters who say they were abused while she was a teacher and principal at the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel School in Melbourne.
Read the article by Anthony Galloway in The Sydney Morning Herald.