JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli authorities on Monday extradited a woman wanted on 74 counts of child sexual abuse in Australia, after a six-year court battle that damaged relations between the two governments.
Malka Leifer, a former teacher accused of sexually abusing several former students at a Jewish school in Melbourne, had been fighting Israel’s extradition since 2014. Leifer maintains her innocence and the lengthy court case and repeated delays in her extradition have spawned criticism from Australian officials as well as the country’s Jewish leaders.
Israeli media photographed Leifer boarding a plane at Ben Gurion airport on Monday morning, with his ankles and wrists handcuffed. His lawyer, Nick Kaufman, confirmed the extradition.
Hebrew-language news site Ynet said she boarded a flight to Frankfurt, where she would be transferred to another flight to Australia.
Her departure was scheduled for her to leave the country before Israel closed the airport at midnight due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
In December, the Supreme Court rejected a final appeal against her extradition, and Israel’s justice minister signed the order to send it to Australia.
Leifer faces 74 charges of child sexual abuse that she allegedly committed while teaching in Melbourne.
When the charges against her began to appear in 2008, Israeli Leifer left school and returned to Israel, where she has lived since.
Critics, including Leifer’s alleged victims, accused the Israeli authorities of prolonging the case for a long time, while Leifer claimed that she was mentally incapable of prosecution.
Last year, an Israeli psychiatric panel determined that Leifer was lying about his mental condition, initiating extradition.
Avi Nissenkorn, the former Israeli justice minister who signed the extradition request, wrote on Twitter: “I promised that I would not prevent the extradition request and I did. The victims of Malka Leifer will finally win an act of justice. ”
Manny Waks, head of Voice against Child Sex Abuse, an organization that represents Leifer’s victims, said in a statement that “this is an incredible day for justice!”
“Now we can really expect Leifer to face justice in Australia for the 74 charges he faces,” he said.