‘Bittersweet’ Leifer verdict
'We hope this trial sheds light on how important it is to believe survivors, no matter the outcome'
“THE mixed verdict is a bittersweet outcome,” Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer told The AJN this week. “While we are disappointed that not all charges were found guilty, we are grateful that justice was served.
“We are proud of ourselves that we had the courage to come forward and speak the truth. We hope this trial sheds light on how important it is to believe survivors, no matter the outcome.”
After a County Court of Victoria jury found Malka Leifer guilty of six out of 11 charges of rape against two sisters, Erlich and Sapper, the pair, joined by sister Nicole Meyer, expressed relief at the culmination of an epic battle to bring to justice the teacher they once admired.
The jury, which heard evidence and arguments for six weeks and deliberated for 32 hours over nine days, found the former principal guilty of 18 of the 27 charges against her, including rape, indecent assault and sexual penetration of a child aged 16 or 17.
The charges related to events between 2003 and 2007 at Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel school, where Leifer, now 56, had been principal.
“It’s time to start looking forward instead of looking back. This is the beginning of our future now.”
Charges on which Leifer was found guilty – including six counts of rape – related to Erlich and Sapper. She was found not guilty of charges relating to Meyer.
The sisters sat apprehensively in court as the first five verdicts emerged “not guilty”, but relief soon followed with a slew of guilty verdicts.
Leifer, 56, stood in the dock gazing only at the jury. Meyer said afterwards, “I turned around and looked at her … if she doesn’t want to look at me, so be it.”
At a media gathering outside court, Erlich said Leifer’s abuse “held us hostage for so many years … today we can start to take that power back that she stole from us as children”.
Sapper reflected, “It’s time to start looking forward instead of looking back. This is the beginning of our future now.”
Departing court, Leifer’s barrister Ian Hill, KC, had “nothing to say at this time”.
Adass Israel school principal Aaron Strasser issued an apology to the three former students. “We are sorry for the distress they have suffered and the impact of that abuse on their lives and families. We commend the survivors’ bravery in coming forward.”
Noting the 13 years between Leifer being spirited out of Australia to Israel in 2008 and her extradition in 2021, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Jillian Segal said, “It has taken less than two years for an Australian court to find her guilty of multiple sexual abuse offences. This is a mighty vindication for Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper in their long, courageous struggle for justice.”
Will never forget that day. Also thinking of the great man Josh Levi and all the relentless reporting he did on the extradition process.
— Darren Levin (@darren_levin) April 3, 2023
JCCV COO Naomi Levin, who was a journalist at The AJN in 2008, recalled an anonymous whistleblower who phoned the newspaper, helping her break what became the 15-year-long Leifer story. “That person showed true courage in shining a light on this terrible crime,” she said.
She paid tribute to then AJN editor Ashley Browne, who “displayed the highest journalistic values when he stood up to those who urged him to sweep the story under the rug – and put it on the cover instead”.
After Leifer’s conviction, Browne tweeted that the three women “are the most courageous people you could ever meet”.
The survivors deserve all our support today. But I want to pay tribute to the whistleblower, who called the @aus_jewishnews and in a shaky voice, told me what happened. And @hashbrowne, who stood up to the bullies, and put it on the cover. This wasn't a yarn, this was a crisis https://t.co/Q5hAylYykS
— honesttruth (@honesttruth) April 3, 2023
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said, “We hope that the verdict brings much-needed closure.” Condemning Leifer’s marathon extradition process in Israel after her 2014 arrest (which involved 70 court deferrals and a conviction over political interference against then Israeli health minister Yaakov Litzman), he said, “Israel must take action to ensure that such a travesty cannot recur.”
Former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma, who handed over the extradition request to Israeli authorities almost 10 years ago, told The AJN that “after some inexplicable delays … we received the full cooperation of Israeli justice authorities”.
Macnamara MP Josh Burns tweeted that “justice finally arrived.” Caulfield state MP and Liberal deputy leader David Southwick described it as “the culmination of over two decades of suffering and unstoppable activism”.
Child sex abuse survivor Manny Waks and his VoiCSA advocacy group called it a “great day for justice”. Leah Boulton, president of Pathways, a support group for those formerly in an ultra-Orthodox lifestyle, posted, “We especially feel for Dassi who is the secretary of our board.”
Acknowledging the challenge facing those who report sex abuse to police, Rabbinical Association of Australasia president Rabbi Yaakov Glasman said, “We wish to acknowledge the pain the victims and survivors of abuse experience.”
Judge Mark Gamble said Leifer will return to court on April 26 for a hearing relating to sentencing.
In a related development, former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu, who championed the rights of the three sisters, urged Victoria Police to reopen their investigation of members of the Adass Israel community who allegedly helped spirit Leifer out of the country on a night flight bound for Israel in 2008. Police closed the case in 2018. Baillieu told The AJN on Tuesday, “There can be no escaping their culpability.”
Anyone experiencing personal distress can seek help via Lifeline 131 114 or the Blue Knot Helpline on 1300 657 380.
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