Israel handed over the owner of the Evergreen on Monday. a A former head of a devout Orthodox Jewish school accused of dozens of cases of sexual assault against students in Australia, The Justice Department said it is ending a six-year legal dispute.
“We confirm the deportation, He said in a message via WhatsApp, without going into further details.
Israeli media reported that The defendant left on an early morning flight to Australia hours before the closure of Ben Gurion Airport, as part of COVID-19 precautions.
News site Ynet General A picture of her taking her on a plane before dawn, with her ankles tied. His hands were not visible in the picture.
Photo of Malka Leifer (back) published by Ynet (Reuters)
he is The Jerusalem Post He said Leifer was “traveling to Australia via Frankfurt and arriving in Australia later today.”
Lever Israeli She is accused of child sexual abuse while working as a teacher and principal of an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne.
According to Australian media, He faces 74 charges of child sexual abuse against girls.
The case received widespread press coverage in Australia Her lawyer, Nick Kaufman, says, could be an obstacle in the way.
“The issue of negative publicity will undoubtedly be a case being considered by the Australian (defense) lawyer,” The said France Press agency, It is a factor that may arise in court, they said.
In this photo taken on February 27, 2018, Malka Leever, a former Australian teacher accused of dozens of cases of sexual assault of girls at a school, reached a hearing at the Jerusalem District Court. (Ahmed Gharabli / AFP)
“I am confident that the judges are very good and that they will be convinced of the arguments presented by the defense in their favor and will give a fair trial in this regard,” Added.
“Whether or not she can obtain a fair trial is another matter altogether.”
“Justice is a step closer”
After allegations surfaced against him in Australia in 2008, Leifer and his family fled to Israel and moved to the Emmanuel settlement in the West Bank.
in December, The Israeli Supreme Court rejected his lawyer’s final appeal against the extradition In a strong sentence.
“More than six years have passed since an application was filed in Jerusalem District Court to declare the appellant’s extradition to Australia.” Wrote.
He has since said, “There is no action the appellant did not take” to avoid her extraditionEven for reasons of mental illness.
Former Australian Ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma Now a federal representative, she welcomed the news of her trial.
“Justice is a step closer”, He wrote on Twitter.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quote The head of the Australian Zionist Federation, Jeremy Liebler, criticized the delay.
“Allowing Leifer to escape justice for so long was a hoax,” He said.
“While it is comforting that the Israeli justice system has finally triumphed, the time and process that led to these delays are totally unacceptable.”
A previous delivery attempt between 2014 and 2016 failed Leifer was admitted to mental institutions, and expert opinions determined that she was not in a position to appear in court.
Malka Leifer in Jerusalem District Court, February 2018 (REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun / file)
But Undercover detectives later film Leifer buying and depositing a check in a bank, apparently leading a normal life.
This prompted the Israeli authorities to initiate b Investigate whether he is feigning mental illness to avoid being extradited, Which led to his arrest again in February 2018.
Last May, a judge of the Jerusalem District Court Shanna Lomb, She ruled that while Lever was suffering from “mental problems” “Psychotic problems were not caused by mental illness as defined in the law.” It was a decent trial.
The legal dispute caused some tension between the two allies, Israel and Australia, Lever’s handover is a central issue that has been raised with the Israeli president Reuven Rivlin During a visit to Australia last February.
(With information from AFP)
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