CANBERRA, Australia — A former principal of a ultra-Orthodox Jewish ladies faculty within the Australian metropolis of Melbourne molested three sisters, a prosecutor stated Wednesday.

Malka Leifer, 56, has pleaded not responsible within the Victoria state County Court docket to 29 sexual offenses that have been allegedly dedicated on the Adass Israel Faculty and at her Melbourne house in addition to in school camps on the Victorian rural cities of Blampied and Rawson between 2003 and 2007.

The varsity was excited by Tel Aviv-born Leifer’s arrival from Israel in 2001, when the sisters have been aged round 12, 14 and 16, prosecutor Justin Lewis instructed the jury.

“The complainants have been conscious that the accused had been introduced over to Australia from Israel to show by the varsity due to her good repute,” Lewis stated.

Leifer was married with eight kids, two of them born in 2004 and 2005 whereas she was on the faculty, Lewis stated.

She started as head of non secular research on the faculty and in 2003 grew to become the principal. She determined to provide the sisters instructing positions after they completed their remaining yr of highschool.

The ladies got here from a sheltered setting inside Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Hasidic group. The household didn’t have a tv, newspapers, magazines or entry to the web at house, Lewis stated.

“It was not acceptable throughout the group to say something towards an individual of excessive standing locally, particularly as a toddler,” Lewis stated. “Because of being raised in an ultra-Orthodox group, the three complainants didn’t have any information or understanding of intercourse all through the interval of the alleged offending.”

“As a part of their non secular and cultural practices, the complainants weren’t taught something about intercourse till they have been engaged to be married,” he added.

The eldest sister was a scholar after which a trainer on the faculty when she was allegedly molested by Leifer.

The sister “didn’t learn about intercourse and didn’t know that folks touched one another. She was confused,” Lewis stated.

“She felt too scared to maneuver and terrified of what the implications can be if she instructed the accused to cease, particularly due to the excessive esteem wherein the accused was held throughout the faculty,” Lewis added.

Choose Mark Gamble imposed a gag order Tuesday that restricts media reporting on sure elements of the case. Particulars of these restrictions can’t be reported.

Lewis is about to proceed his opening tackle later Wednesday. Leifer’s lawyer Ian Hill will then tackle the jury. The trial is scheduled to take six weeks.