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- The Adass Israel School sex abuse scandal (Hebrew: פרשת מלכה לייפר, lit. 'the Malka Leifer scandal/affair') is a criminal case and extradition dispute regarding allegations of child sex abuse at a Jewish religious school in Melbourne, Australia. A former principal, Malka Leifer, will stand trial in 2022 on 70 sex offence charges laid by Victoria Police, with accusations from at least eight alleged victims. Leifer, a dual Israeli-Australian citizen, fled under suspicious circumstances shortly before a warrant could be issued, and remained in Israel from 2008 until January 2021, under varying levels of police and court supervision, pending the resolution of her extradition case. Leifer's trial will not address other alleged sex crimes in Israel and the West Bank because they did not occur in Australia. The degree of freedom she enjoyed in Israel prompted worldwide media coverage and criticism of Israel's justice system; activist Manny Waks described the case as "a farce" and "an embarrassment". Leifer lived an apparently normal life for some time in the Israeli settlement of Emmanuel, despite a court ruling that she was mentally unfit for proceedings. She was eventually rearrested after media and police scrutiny of her behavior, but continued to evade extradition, with more than 70 court hearings and appeals requested by her legal team, and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, after more than 13 years as a fugitive, Leifer was extradited to Australia; she appeared before a Melbourne judge via video link in April 2021, her first appearance in Australian court, and remains jailed without bond as of 2021. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Victoria awarded over AU$1 million against the school, and also $150,000 exemplary damages personally against Leifer. Australian police confirm there is an ongoing investigation into the actions of some members of the Adass Israel community in helping her leave Australia. Israeli police investigated and indicted former Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman, following an investigation into official interference with Leifer's case. Litzman eventually pled guilty to breach of trust in the case in early 2022. (en)
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- The Adass Israel School sex abuse scandal (Hebrew: פרשת מלכה לייפר, lit. 'the Malka Leifer scandal/affair') is a criminal case and extradition dispute regarding allegations of child sex abuse at a Jewish religious school in Melbourne, Australia. A former principal, Malka Leifer, will stand trial in 2022 on 70 sex offence charges laid by Victoria Police, with accusations from at least eight alleged victims. Leifer, a dual Israeli-Australian citizen, fled under suspicious circumstances shortly before a warrant could be issued, and remained in Israel from 2008 until January 2021, under varying levels of police and court supervision, pending the resolution of her extradition case. Leifer's trial will not address other alleged sex crimes in Israel and the West Bank because they did not occur in (en)
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