Media Releases

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes the news that a verdict has been reached in the sexual abuse trial of former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer. She was found guilty of 18 rape and sexual assault charges yesterday.

Leifer fled to Israel in 2008, but after a long court battle, was extradited back to Australia in 2021 to face numerous charges relating to sexual assaults that allegedly occurred between 2003 and 2007 when Leifer was principal of the Adass Israel Girls’ School in Melbourne.

AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler and Executive Director Dr. Colin Rubenstein said, “AIJAC salutes the courage and fortitude of the extraordinary young women who worked so tirelessly, over so many years, and often at great personal cost, to ensure that a measure of justice would eventually be achieved – which we trust this verdict represents.”

“AIJAC also wishes to acknowledge and thank the many others who helped bring about this outcome. This includes those in the independent Israeli criminal justice system which pursued Malka Leifer’s extradition for so many years, and the Australian law enforcement officials who did so much to make sure Leifer was called to account for her crimes,” Leibler and Rubenstein concluded.