Jerusalem: An Israeli court has ordered the former principal of an ultra-Orthodox school in Australia wanted on child sexual abuse charges to be freed from detention on house arrest, after the defence brought in a chief rabbi to vouch for her.

Malka Leifer is set to be released on bail set to be released March 9 at 10am, pending an appeal by the prosecutor.

She would be monitored by two supervisors in the northern Israeli town of Migal HaEmek under the custody of the town’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Grossman, who was brought in as a character witness by her defence lawyer.

Rabbi Grossman, the recipient of Israel’s highest cultural honour, the 2004 Israel Prize, argued to the court for the accused former principal of Elsternwick's Adass Israel school to be freed.

“It would be a humiliation for Ms Leifer to remain in custody,” he said, promising that if she leaves the house “for even a second, we will take her straight to the police immediately” as a matter of his personal responsibility