Israel extradites Malka Leifer, former teacher wanted on child sex abuse charges, to Australia after 6-year legal battle

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has extradited a former teacher wanted in Australia on charges of sexually abusing former students. Malka Leifer was placed on a plane early on Monday, several hours before Israel was to close its international airport to nearly all air traffic due to a raging coronavirus outbreak. Her attorney confirmed the extradition. The former teacher is wanted on 74 charges of child sex abuse for allegedly sexually abusing several former students at a Jewish school in Melbourne. The six-year legal battle over Leifer’s extradition to Australia strained relations between the two governments. Israel’s Supreme Court last month rejected her final appeal and the justice minister signed her extradition order.