Supreme Court puts stay on accused pedophile Leifer’s bail release

The Supreme Court orders an extension on the stay of a decision to release Malka Leifer to house arrest.

Judge Anat Baron says she needs time to deliberate and doesn’t specify when she will make a decision.

The afternoon hearing had been called after the state appealed a Wednesday Jerusalem District Court ruling to release Leifer to house arrest while a psychiatric panel is convened to provide a recommendation on whether she is feigning mental illness to avoid extradition to Australia where the former girls’ school principal faces 74 charges of sex abuse.

Last week’s court ruling ordering the convening of a psychiatric panel was blasted by victims’ rights group as well as the Australian government as a further delay in the extradition process which has lasted over five years.

— Jacob Magid