LONDON — The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl who was brutally abused and later found dead in their home in England received life sentences for murder on Tuesday.
Urfan Sharif, aged 42, and Beinash Batool, aged 30, were found guilty of murder last week. Prosecutors described the case as a “campaign of abuse” against the child.
In addition, the girl’s uncle, Faisal Malik, aged 29, was convicted for causing or allowing her death and sentenced to 16 years behind bars.
Following the girl’s tragic death, the trio fled to Pakistan, where Sharif reportedly contacted U.K. police to claim he had “legally punished” the girl, asserting that he “beat her up too much” but did not mean to cause her death.
On August 10, 2023, London police went to the family’s residence and found Sara’s body wrapped in a blanket inside a bunk bed.
The defendants returned to the U.K. over a month later and were arrested on suspicion of murder.
The trial revealed shocking details of Sara’s abuse, which included over 70 fresh injuries and numerous older ones, comprising bruises, burns, fractures, and bite marks. These revelations raised serious concerns about the failure of social services and authorities to protect the young girl.
“In her death, we see the culmination of years of neglect and frequent assaults, described by Justice John Cavanagh as almost inconceivable cruelty. None of you have displayed any signs of true remorse.”
Calls for a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the case have emerged from politicians and officials, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms to prevent future tragedies.
“This heartbreaking incident highlights deep flaws within our child protection system that we have repeatedly failed to correct as a nation,” stated Rachel de Souza, England’s children’s commissioner, after the trial.
Family court records released after the trial revealed that Urfan and his previous wife, Olga Sharif, had been monitored by social services three years prior to Sara’s birth.
Custody of Sara and her older brother was awarded to Urfan and his new wife after their mother’s abuse was reported.
Despite multiple allegations of physical abuse against Urfan, these claims were never brought to court for adjudication.
Surrey County Council expressed ongoing concerns about Sara’s risk of physical and emotional harm at her parents’ hands and has announced plans to reassess the circumstances surrounding her death.
Child services had previously investigated reports from Sara’s school indicating that she bore bruises, but no further action was taken by the agency.
Later on, the father removed her from school to shield the abuse from authorities, as noted by the judge. Sara did not receive any form of home schooling.
Olga Sharif characterized her daughter’s murderers as cowards, sadists, and executioners in a prosecutor’s statement.
“I cannot fathom how one could inflict such sadism on a child,” she lamented. “Sara is now an angel, free from violence, watching over us.”
During the trial, Urfan initially placed the blame for Sara’s death on Batool but eventually claimed full responsibility, admitting to choking her and striking her with various objects, including a cricket bat.
The prosecution revealed that the normalization of violence reached a point where family members didn’t react when Sara appeared bruised at a family gathering.
Her parents forced her to wear a hijab, not for religious observance, but to conceal the injuries covering her body, as stated by Justice Cavanagh.
Sara was described as a spirited child with dreams of becoming a fairy tale princess. A video taken just two days before her death captured her dancing despite the severe physical trauma she was enduring, showcasing her resilience as she smiled at the camera, even with multiple broken bones and burns.
