Prosecutors have asked a jury to convict former ultra-Orthodox school principal Malka Leifer on dozens of sexual offences, arguing she groomed her three victims, exploited her position as a respected member of the community and pretended to love them to conceal her alleged crimes.
In the Melbourne County Court on Thursday, prosecution barrister Justin Lewis said Leifer knew the sisters were vulnerable, and used that knowledge of their vulnerability to emotionally manipulate and sexually abuse them for her own sexual gratification.
Malka Leifer has pleaded not guilty to child abuse charges.
“Knowing that they were neglected at home, she pretended that she loved them and told them that she was helping them. She manipulated their emotions while abusing them for her own sexual gratification,” Lewis said.
“These sisters had a miserable home life and so far as the accused was concerned, they were ripe for the picking.”
Leifer is standing trial on allegations that between 2003 and 2007, she abused three students who attended the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick. She has consistently maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to all 29 charges, including rape.
Referring to evidence that the complainants spoke of Leifer as a surrogate parent, Lewis said: “There is … no mystery in any of them speaking highly of the accused – of course they would, they were receiving apparent love and attention from one of the most revered and respected people they knew.”
“How could they help but feel special and whilst they didn’t understand what she was doing to them physically or even like it, they understood the love, or what they thought was love.”
Lewis also rejected that the sisters may have colluded when reporting their allegations to police, saying if there was collusion, the jury could expect the evidence to match up almost precisely, which it does not.
“The very fact of the differences in the accounts makes them highly unlikely to be the product of calculated invention,” he said.
During the hearing, Leifer sat upright and listened attentively to the closing arguments.
The complainants – sisters Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper – have provided permission to The Age to be identified.
On Monday, County Court Judge Mark Gamble acquitted Leifer on two charges, which had alleged she committed indecent acts with a 16- or 17-year-old, referring to Sapper.
The trial continues.
More to come.
If you need support, call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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