The father and stepmother of a ten-year-old British-Pakistani girl have received life sentences following years of horrifying “torture” and “despicable” abuse that ultimately led to her murder.
Sara Sharif endured “unimaginable pain, misery, and anxiety” as she faced repeated beatings, burns, bites, and restraints in the family’s home located in Woking, Surrey, as presented in court.
Urfan Sharif, 42, and Beinash Batool, 30, attempted to conceal their abusive actions by withdrawing Sara from school twice, and later fled to Pakistan after her death, according to prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC.
The couple was sentenced to life in prison for her murder, with Sharif receiving a minimum term of 40 years and Batool, 33 years.
There were shouts of “yes” from the public gallery, yet the defendants showed no reaction, standing with their heads bowed in the dock as the sentencing was pronounced.
During a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Cavanagh emphasized that Sara’s death marked “the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults, and what can only be described as torture,” primarily inflicted by Sharif.
The senior judge condemned the “despicable treatment” that occurred “in plain sight and in front of the rest of the family.”
Sara’s mother shared in court that her daughter had her ‘own unique character’ (Credit: Surrey Police)
Addressing Sharif, he stated: “You treated her in such a manner because you deemed it your right to enforce harsh discipline upon her.
“Sara was a brave, spirited, and feisty child. She did not conform to the submissiveness you imposed on her. She stood her ground.
“I have no doubt that your ego and sense of superiority were bolstered by the power you exercised over her and the rest of your family.”
The judge noted that Batool was willing to “sacrifice” her stepdaughter, asserting, “Put bluntly, you lacked the compassion to protect Sara.”
He dismissed as “preposterous” any claim that Malik was too preoccupied with his phone and earbuds to be aware of the ongoing abuse.
Mr Justice Cavanagh stated that the case “starkly demonstrated” the risks faced by vulnerable children like Sara when being home-schooled and raised serious concerns about potential preventive actions that could have been taken.
Earlier, Sara’s mother Olga Sharif, who attended the court via video link, described her daughter as “always smiling” and possessing “her own unique character.”
In her victim impact statement, she conveyed: “She is now an angel watching over us from heaven, free from violence.
“To this day, I am baffled by how someone could exhibit such sadism towards a child.”
Addressing the defendants, she declared: “You are sadists, and even that term does not fully capture your true nature. I would label you executioners.”
Mr Justice Cavanagh remarked that Sara’s death was ‘the culmination of years of neglect’ and ‘torture’
Libby Clark, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, remarked: “Sara Sharif was a lively and joyful ten-year-old girl whose life was tragically ended by those meant to protect and care for her.
“The sentences handed down today reflect the cruelty and severity of their crimes; while no sentence can revive Sara, we hope this outcome brings some small solace to those who knew and loved her.”
Sara was discovered deceased in a bunk bed at her Woking home after her father called the police from Pakistan, admitting he had beaten her “too much.”
She had sustained 71 “fresh” injuries, which included 25 broken bones, iron burns on her posterior, scalding marks on her feet, and human bites.
Sharif had struck her with a cricket bat and iron bar, choked her, and thrown a mobile phone at her head, as jurors were informed.
Sara was also restrained with packaging tape, and her head was covered with a makeshift hood during recurring episodes of violence that caused her immense suffering, the jurors heard.
Even as she lay dying in Batool’s lap last August, Sharif returned home and struck her in the stomach for “pretending.”
Batool had informed her sister that Sharif would “beat the crap” out of his daughter but did nothing to intervene, even calling him home from work to carry out punishments, the court was told.
The abuse began shortly after Sara moved in with her father and stepmother in 2019, where she was treated like a “skivvy” and deemed “worthless,” Mr Justice Cavanagh stated.
He noted: “This poor child was violently beaten repeatedly with great force.”
The violence became so “normalised” that university student Malik failed to intervene after moving in with the family in December 2022.
By January 2023, Sara began wearing a hijab at school to conceal the bruises.
Teachers noticed marks on her face on two occasions and referred her to social services last March, but the case was closed within days, and the following month Sara was withdrawn from school.
Within hours of Sara’s death, Sharif and Batool arranged flights to Pakistan for their entire family, including Sara’s five siblings and half-siblings.
The defendants returned to the UK on September 13, 2023, leaving the children in Jhelum with their paternal grandfather, and were immediately detained upon landing at Gatwick Airport.
During his trial, Sharif initially placed the blame on Batool for the violence but later dramatically accepted “full responsibility,” leaving jurors shocked and tearful.
He subsequently seemed to retract his admission, denying that he had bitten or burned Sara or placed a hood over her head.
Jurors learned that bite marks on Sara’s arm and thigh did not correspond to either Sharif or Malik, and only Batool refused to provide dental impressions.
Sharif had been granted custody in 2019 despite previous allegations of child abuse and arrests for alleged controlling behavior towards ex-girlfriends.
Sara’s siblings and half-siblings remain in Jhelum, with their paternal grandfather, while efforts to repatriate them to the UK are ongoing.
