Former Victorian girls’ school principal and accused child molester Malka Leifer will remain behind bars after being denied bail by a Jerusalem court.
The former head of the Adass Israel school in Melbourne, who is wanted on 74 child sexual abuse charges in Australia, was arrested in February following a massive Israeli police undercover operation.
She will remain inside Israel’s only women’s prison after District Court Judge Avigdor Dorot denied her bail as she awaits potential extradition back to Australia.
Ms Leifer is accused of abusing children between 2004 and 2008 in Australia and fled to Israel a decade ago.
Malka Leifer is wanted in Australia on child sex abuse charges. Source: SBS
Since then, Leifer has remained in Israel after arguing in she was mentally unfit to face extradition.
She was rearrested in February following an undercover police investigation, which allegedly captured footage of her going about her daily activities and leading a “normal life" in the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Emmanuel.
Outside court yesterday, her defence team said they would appeal the judge’s decision to the Israeli Supreme Court.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 15.
