Latest news with #AddasIsraelSchool
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Malka Leifer's victim-survivors react to news of alleged re-offending in prison
On August 24, 2023, Malka Leifer's victims sat inside a Melbourne courtroom and listened as Judge Mark Gamble sent her to prison for 15 years. Sisters Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich had been sexually abused by Leifer over several years while she was headmistress at the Addas Israel School in Elsternwick. They had waited years — from 2008 until 2021 — for the dual Israeli-Australian citizen to be extradited from Israel to Australia to face justice. But when justice came, it was tempered by six words that have left them fuming since. 'Mrs Leifer is unlikely to re-offend,' Judge Gamble told the court, citing the unlikely situation that she would ever 'find herself in the same position of authority again'. But according to prison sources at Melbourne's maximum security women's prison where Leifer is serving her sentence in protective custody, she has allegedly offended again. on Monday exclusively reported that Leifer has been sent to solitary confinement at the facility in Melbourne's north over an alleged incident involving a younger inmate — one that sources say happened in full view of 'CCTV cameras'. The incident allegedly occurred in late July inside the Murray Unit where inmates are segregated for their own protection. A source with knowledge of the incident told the alleged victim was 'a young woman who was only recently moved to (protection) from the compound'. 'There was camera footage of it in the hallway of the Murray Unit,' the source said. The alleged victim is believed to be a 'young Koori girl' — an Aboriginal inmate in her 20s. Leifer, who is a mother of eight children and is 'disliked' in prison because she is 'arrogant and entitled', is now confined to a tiny cell for 23 hours a day where she cannot mix with other inmates. Nicole told the news proves what they have always believed — that Leifer is not remorseful and is not reformed. She took to TikTok to share a message with her followers. 'Go ahead and see what broke the news this morning,' she said on Monday. 'It doesn't trigger me like some people might think. What it does, it makes me feel incredibly sad that she has (allegedly) hurt another person in prison when the judge literally said she's not going to be a risk to re-offend when she comes out. 'And look at that, she is (allegedly) re-offending in prison ... it is so, so not OK that she is still damaging other people. It is just awful.' Judge Gamble's full remarks in 2023 included the following comments about Leifer's risk of re-offending. 'This offending occurred in a very specific setting where Mrs Leifer, as a teacher and principal, was entrusted with the care of female high school students and young female student teachers at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish school,' he said. 'It seems most unlikely that she will ever have the opportunity to gain access to girls and young women in any similar setting again, whether in Australia, Israel or some other country. 'So, I consider that the opportunity for Mrs Leifer to re-offend in this or any similar fashion is therefore negligible, if not non-existent.' The sisters, who are part of a documentary about Leifer's crimes which is premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival this week, have previously told Leifer would never change. They said just that after this publication revealed that Leifer, 58, had kissed conwoman Samantha Azzopardi, 36, while the pair were locked up together. The kiss happened in a public area of the protection unit at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and an inmate who witnessed it said Azzopardi appeared shocked. 'I just hope the community or members of her family have a deep hard think about reading these stories and maybe, just maybe, start to believe that Malka Leifer did actually abuse us,' Nicole said. Elly had similar concerns. 'I guess part of me always wanted to believe there was some remorse, some understanding of her wrongdoing. Obviously that belief has diminished now, but mostly, I feel defeated and helpless at the knowledge there will be many other young vulnerable girls in the future that she will groom and take advantage of.' A Department of Justice spokesperson said they cannot comment on individual prisoners but 'all allegations of sexual assault or violence in Victorian prisons are referred to Victoria Police for investigation'. Leifer's new life inside solitary confinement will be much different to her previous living conditions. last month reported that the solitary confinement unit is subject to almost daily lockdowns, some of which mean inmates there spend 24 hours a day inside their cells. A former inmate who spoke to about conditions in solitary confinement at the Melbourne prison said there are 'code black' events 'nearly every day' — a code black being a self-harm incident or an attempted suicide. 'The amount of times that medical would be called for a code black is unbelievable,' they said. A different former inmate, who spent time with Leifer inside the protection unit before being released in March, told Leifer was 'a loner' who 'used to sit in her room a lot'. Leifer's barrister, Ian Hill KC, told a Melbourne court in 2023, prior to her sentencing, that she was 'truly lonely' and 'broken' in prison. 'Leifer was a respected educator, administrator and community member and indeed community leader,' Mr Hill said. 'Today, all these years later, she is a truly lonely, isolated and broken woman held in protective custody in a maximum security prison far from her culture, far from her religion and, significantly, far from her family. 'Publicly she has been disgraced and it can be said fairly that she is suffering worldwide as a result of the publicity that her trial seems to have attracted.' Leifer will be deported to Israel when she is released from prison, but is not eligible for parole until 2038.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Convicted sex offender and former Melbourne headmistress accused of sexual assault in prison
The former headmistress of a Melbourne school who raped her students has allegedly sexually assaulted a much younger woman inside Melbourne's maximum security women's prison. Malka Leifer, 58, previously ruled over the ultra-orthodox Addas Israel School in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick before she was jailed for 15 years for repeated sexual abuse against students in her care. The convicted predator sexually abused sisters Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich on campus, in a school office, in her home and on school camps. The dual Israeli-Australian citizen fled to Israel and remained there from 2008 until 2021 before she was extradited to Melbourne to face justice. earlier this year exclusively revealed that Leifer had kissed the troubled conwoman Samantha Azzopardi while locked up together inside the protection unit at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Azzopardi is best known for dressing up and posing as a vulnerable 'schoolgirl' to get money from her victims. can now reveal that Leifer has been sent to solitary confinement at the facility in Melbourne's north over an alleged incident involving a younger inmate — one that sources say happened in full view of 'CCTV cameras'. The incident allegedly occurred in late July inside the Murray Unit where inmates are segregated for their own protection. A source with knowledge of the incident told the alleged victim was 'a young woman who was only recently moved to (protection) from the compound'. 'There was camera footage of it in the hallway of the Murray Unit,' the source said. The alleged victim is believed to be a 'young Koori girl' — an Aboriginal inmate in her 20s. Leifer, who is a mother of eight children and is 'disliked' in prison because she is 'arrogant and entitled', is now confined to a tiny cell for 23 hours a day where she cannot mix with other inmates. Her only taste of freedom each day will include a 20-minute visit to the airing yard or a trip to the loungeroom where the TV does not work. The added perks she has been accustomed to in prison, including a mircrowave and cooking equipment in her room, did not travel with her to an area of the prison referred to colloquially as 'the slot'. The Department of Justice and Victoria Police were approached for comment. A Department of Justice spokesperson said they cannot comment on individual prisoners but 'all allegations of sexual assault or violence in Victorian prisons are referred to Victoria Police for investigation'. Leifer's new life inside solitary confinement will be much different to her previous living conditions. last month reported that the solitary confinement unit is subject to almost daily lockdowns, some of which mean inmates there spend 24 hours a day inside their cells. A former inmate who spoke to about conditions in solitary confinement at the Melbourne prison said there are 'code black' events 'nearly every day' — a code black being a self-harm incident or an attempted suicide. 'The amount of times that medical would be called for a code black is unbelievable,' they said. A different former inmate, who spent time with Leifer inside the protection unit before being released in March, told Leifer was 'a loner' who 'used to sit in her room a lot'. Then Azzopardi, 36, came along, and that changed. When Azzopardi entered prison, the inmate says, the pair began spending a lot of time together. '(Azzopardi) acts young. That's the type of girl Malka likes,' they said. 'How f***ing wild is this. Her best friend in there is the one and only Malka Leifer. (Azzopardi) allowed Malka to kiss her on one occasion on the lips. Very strange stuff.' Leifer's victims said the details of Leifer's alleged relationship with Azzopardi was deeply concerning. 'I just hope the community or members of her family have a deep hard think about reading these stories and maybe, just maybe, start to believe that Malka Leifer did actually abuse us,' Nicole told Elly said it proved Leifer would never change. 'I guess part of me always wanted to believe there was some remorse, some understanding of her wrongdoing. Obviously that belief has diminished now, but mostly, I feel defeated and helpless at the knowledge there will be many other young vulnerable girls in the future that she will groom and take advantage of.' Leifer's barrister, Ian Hill KC, told a Melbourne court in 2023, prior to her sentencing, that she was 'truly lonely' and 'broken' in prison. 'Leifer was a respected educator, administrator and community member and indeed community leader,' Mr Hill said. 'Today, all these years later, she is a truly lonely, isolated and broken woman held in protective custody in a maximum security prison far from her culture, far from her religion and, significantly, far from her family. 'Publicly she has been disgraced and it can be said fairly that she is suffering worldwide as a result of the publicity that her trial seems to have attracted.' Leifer's victims were made aware of the new allegations against her over the weekend. In a message to one of her victims wrote: 'She has a pattern, it doesn't stop just because she is in prison.' A documentary titled Surviving Malka Leifer will premiere this week at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Directed by Adam Kamien, the film will delve into her victims' youth and their brave campaign to hold Leifer accountable. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu will make appearances in the film.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- News.com.au
Malka Leifer's sexual abuse survivors disgusted at perks inside max security Melbourne prison
The twisted ex-headmistress who raped school girls in her care has been living it up behind bars at a maximum security prison outside Melbourne, an inmate has revealed. Malka Leifer, 58, was in charge of the ultra-orthadox Addas Israel School in Elsternwick when she sexually abused students in her care. She was jailed for 15 years in 2023 after a drawn-out process to have her extradited from Israel where she had fled. She now resides at the protection unit inside the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on Melbourne's outskirts. spoke exclusively with a former inmate of the facility who was released in March. She previously told this publication that Leifer had become involved in an intimate relationship with notorious conwoman Samantha Azzopardi, 36, while locked up. The pair had been sharing secret notes, spending time in an area of the prison with no cameras and shared a public kiss on at least one occasion. The inmate now says Leifer is 'disliked' in prison because she is 'arrogant, entitled' and receives perks that other inmates do not. 'Malka has a microwave in her room, cooking equipment in her room, gets special orders every Thursday,' said the former inmate who spoke to on condition of anonymity. 'Some things I can't even explain to you. If she wants something, she gets it. She wanted an airfyer and had members of the Jewish community to write authorities about it. She gets whatever she wants.' The former inmate said Leifer has the ability to bake challat — a braided bread that the Jewish community eats for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed every Saturday. Leifer's victims, sisters Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper and Dassi Erlich, were disgusted when they heard about Leifer's treatment in prison. 'The fact she gets everything. That she is able to bake for Shabbat. That was like 'wow',' Elly said. 'Her arrogance was obvious when she was before the courts so that doesn't surprise me. It sounds like she got her power back. 'To hear that she's doing this brings back so much of the way she acted in court which was no remorse and arrogance. It kind of brings out this anger again. It's shocking. 'I know she's Jewish religious. But that doesn't mean she should get a microwave? She can get food from a catering company. It's not necessary to keep up her religion. They are capable of giving her everything she needs. I think it's unfair. And it makes me wonder who is approving these demands?' approached the Victorian Department of Corrections for comment. A spokesperson said they do not comment on individuals inside the prison system. The former inmate said Leifer spent a lot of time with Azzopardi inside the protection unit. Azzopardi is serving time for posing as a 17-year-old sex-trafficked school girl from Belgium named Hattie Leigh and collecting more than $20,000 meant for victims of domestic violence. She has previously spent time behind bars for a series of high-profile cons and child stealing and was the subject of the documentary Con Girl in 2023. 'Malka was a loner, she used to sit in her room a lot. Sam came along and started roping her in, sharing gossip. Taking her washing off the line. Then Malka would cut up fruit for Sam and leave fruit bags for her in her fridge,' the former inmate said. 'The whole relationship was weird from the start. When Sam initially came in, she had Malka wrapped around her finger in days. Malka was looking for someone to groom, Sam looking for someone to con. Sam acts young, that's the type of girl Malka likes.' The former Dame Phyllis Frost Centre inmate said Leifer and Azzopardi were often seen together in the laundry at the protection unit of the maximum security prison. She said it is the only area where there are no security cameras. Leifer's victims said they found it disturbing that the predator would form a relationship with somebody so much younger than she is — particularly given the fact that many of Azzopardi's prior cons involved her playing the role of a vulnerable 'schoolgirl'. 'I'm shocked but not surprised,' Dassi said. 'This is exactly how Malka Leifer operates. She seeks out vulnerability, builds trust and exploits it. 'She did it to me, and now allegedly to another woman in prison. 'The fact that (Azzopardi) has a history of impersonating children displays clear emotional instability, making her exactly the kind of person Leifer has always targeted. 'This proves she has not changed. Even under strict supervision, Leifer is still manipulating.'
