Malka Leifer has made her first appearance in an Australian court, as child sexual abuse charges against the former school principal were formally presented.
Key points:
- Ms Leifer's lawyer says she has "significant mental health issues" and "strict religious beliefs" that require special arrangements
- He did not apply for bail but asked for her to be transferred to prison as soon as possible
- The case has been adjourned until a committal mention on April 9
The Bail and Remand Court in Melbourne heard the 54-year-old would face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.
Ms Leifer, who was extradited from Israel and arrived at Tullamarine Airport about 9:00pm on Wednesday, faced the court in Melbourne via video link.
She is undergoing a 14-day quarantine at an undisclosed location.
Her lawyer, Tony Hargreaves, said there were "significant mental health issues for Ms Leifer for which she required a number of different types of medication".
"The prison authorities are, or should be aware, that Ms Leifer has very strict religious beliefs so special arrangements will need to be made for her to comply with those religious beliefs," Mr Hargreaves said.
"She's in the custody of Victoria Police and there simply aren't facilities to properly accommodate her."
No application for bail
Mr Hargreaves did not apply for bail on behalf of his client, who sat with her head bowed in her hands for most of the brief hearing.
She was dressed in a white jacket and wore a disposable facemask, along with a traditional headscarf.
Ms Leifer did not respond when the Magistrate asked if she could hear the court proceedings. Court staff then confirmed the audio and visual links were working at her end.
Mr Hargreaves requested she be transferred "to a prison as quickly as possible" for his client's mental health.
Prosecutor Phil Raimondo said a hand-up case brief would be provided to Ms Leifer's defence team by February 26.
The case was adjourned to a committal mention on April 9, with Ms Leifer to be remanded in custody.
The alleged victims in the case are Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper — three sisters who attended the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick while Ms Leifer was headmistress.
With the court proceedings occurring remotely, the Magistrates' Court sat mostly empty.
Prosecutors and defence lawyers spoke remotely, while the three sisters also attended the hearing virtually.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTAxLTI4L21hbGthLWxlaWZlci1jb3VydC1oZWFyaW5nLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1jaGlsZC1zZXgtYWJ1c2UtaXNyYWVsLzEzMDk4MDM40gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEzMDk4MDM4?oc=5
2021-01-28 00:01:00Z
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