Alleged child abuser Malka Leifer loses appeal against extradition back to Australia

Malka Leifer has lost an appeal against a ruling to extradite her back to Australia, where she faces more than 70 counts of sexual assault.

Malka Leifer, right, arrives at the District Court in Jerusalem in February 2019. Source: AFP

Former Melbourne school principal and accused paedeophile Malka Leifer looks set for extradition back to Australia after Israel's Supreme Court threw out an appeal.

"With the issuance of our judgement, all the arguments are closed and the declaration of extradition takes final effect," Tuesday's ruling, published by the justice ministry, said.

Leifer, 54, faces 74 counts of sexual assault in Victoria related to accusations by three sisters who say they were abused during their time at the ultra-orthodox Adass Israel school more than a decade ago. 

Leifer has denied the allegations against her.

Shortly after the verdict, Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn tweeted he welcomed the ruling and would sign off on the extradition order “without delay”.

“After many long and torturous years, the time has come to do justice ... I intend to sign the extradition order without delay,” he said.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that Leifer still has the right to petition the High Court of Justice challenging the extradition, which would be the last possible legal action that she could take.

The Jerusalem District Court in September ruled the Israeli-born Leifer would be extradited, after which the appeal was filed.

Leifer left Australia when the allegations against her surfaced in 2008 and has remained in Israel since.

Australia lodged an extradition request for Leifer in 2014, but her case has been repeatedly delayed.

Leifer's lawyers have continually argued she is unfit to face extradition due to poor mental health and a court agreed to release her in 2016. 

Two years later she was re-arrested, after a police investigation cast doubt on those health claims.

"More than six years have passed since a request was filed in the Jerusalem district court to declare the appellant extradited to Australia," the court ruling said.

Since then, it continued, "there is no proceeding that the appellant has not taken" to prevent her extradition.

With AFP.

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