JERUSALEM: Israel on Monday extradited Malka Leifer, a former principal at a Jewish ultra-Orthodox school in Australia accused of dozens of sexual abuse cases of pupils there, ending a six-year legal wrangle.

“We confirm the deportation,” Israel’s justice ministry said in a brief message, while Israeli media showed images of her, with her feet shackled, being led onto a plane before dawn at Ben Gurion international airport.

Leifer, an Israeli aged in her 50s, is accused of 74 counts of child sex abuse while she worked as a teacher and principal at an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne, according to Australian media.

“We hope the images of Malka Leifer being escorted onto a plane to Australia will bring some satisfaction to her alleged victims,” said Mark Leibler, chairman of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.

Australia’s Attorney-General Christian Porter thanked Israel for its help “to bring this long-running process to a conclusion to allow for the extradition of Ms Leifer to Australia, where she faces serious sexual assault allegations”.

The case has had wide press coverage in Australia, something her lawyer, Nick Kaufman, said could be a hurdle in her trial there.

“The issue of the negative publicity will undoubtedly be an issue considered by Australian counsel,” he said, voicing hope that she will receive a fair trial.

After allegations against her surfaced in Australia in 2008, Leifer and her family fled to Israel and moved to the Emmanuel settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021