Defense at extradition hearing: Leifer’s students effectively consented to abuse

https://www.timesofisrael.com/defense-at-extradition-hearing-leifers-students-effectively-consented-to-abuse/

At a long-awaited extradition hearing for Malka Leifer on Monday, the defense team of the former headmaster at an Australian school sought to argue that those who accuse their client of sexual abuse had effectively consented to it.

The highly anticipated session at the Jerusalem District Court was the 69th hearing convened since Leifer was initially arrested in 2014, six years after fleeing Australia, where she now faces 74 charges of child sex abuse.

Defense attorney Nick Kaufman argued that the three sisters accusing his client were around or even over the consenting age of 18 when the alleged abuse took place. He did not state specifically that the allegations were true, but argued that even if they were, there were holes in their stories, which should prevent Leifer from being extradited.

State prosecutor Matan Akiva flatly rejected the claims, saying the alleged victims were in no place to say “no” to Leifer and that their principal had total control over them. Moreover, he argued that the nature of their ultra-Orthodox community in Melbourne left the girls without the tools to be able to cope with such abuse.