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Reuters Andrew Kelly
Australia welcomed the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to approve the extradition of a former head of a Jewish school in Melbourne, Australia, accused of sexually assaulting students.
Australian Attorney General Christian Porter said in a statement Wednesday that “the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court to reject the lawsuit brought by (the defendant Malka) is good news, especially for the victims in Australia.
He stressed that the accusations against Leifer are “very serious” and that Australia remains firmly committed to ensuring that justice is served in this case.
Malka Lever, who lost a lawsuit against her extradition on Tuesday, is being sought by Australian police as she faces 74 counts of sexual assault, including one for rape, involving girls at her school.
“Although this latest development is an important step forward, and perhaps the most positive step to date in what was a long process, there are still steps to be taken in Israel,” Porter said.
Lever, who also has Israeli citizenship, fled Australia in 2008 after being charged, which she denied.
Australia was pressuring Israel to expedite the decision on Leifer’s lawsuit and its victims criticized lengthy court procedures in Israel.
Lever resisted his return to Australia in a number of ways, including filing a charge that he suffered from mental illness, prolonging the ongoing case in Israeli courts since 2014.
Lever can still bring another case to the Supreme Court challenging the approval of his extradition, but the court hinted Tuesday that it might not consider the case.
Source: Reuters
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