Israeli appears in Australian court on child abuse charges

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A former school principal extradited from Israel after a six-year legal battle has appeared in an Australian court to hear evidence behind child sex abuse charges against her. A committal hearing began in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday to decide whether there is sufficient evidence against Malka Leifer to warrant the charges going to trial. The 54-year-old is facing 74 charges, including rape and indecent assault, from her time as head of Melbourne’s Adass Israel School between 2004 and 2008. Ten witnesses will testify to a closed court during a weeklong hearing. Only legal teams, a magistrate, court staff and Leifer are allowed to view proceedings.