Sara Sharif: Girl, 10, wore hijab to hide injuries, court told

Sara Sharif's remains were discovered at her residence in Woking on August 10 of the previous year.

During a court hearing, it was revealed that a 10-year-old girl, who is believed to have been killed by her father, stepmother, and uncle, wore a hijab to conceal injuries on her face that she sustained before her death.

The jurors were informed that Sara Sharif started donning the religious headscarf in January 2023, which was seven months prior to the discovery of her body at her family's home in Woking, Surrey.

A neighbor expressed that it was "odd" for Sara to be the only one in her large extended family living at that address while wearing a hijab, the Old Bailey was informed.

Urfan Sharif, 42, her father, along with her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, have all pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC stated that the hijab served to hide the injuries on her face and head from others.

The court was informed that Sara's elementary school observed a bruise beneath her left eye in June 2022, as well as a bruise on her chin and a dark spot on her right eye in March 2023.

She provided several contradictory accounts of how she sustained her injuries and covered her face with her hijab when teachers asked her about it, according to Mr. Emlyn Jones KC.

In April 2023, Sara began her journey of home schooling.

Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, have all rejected the allegations of murder.

Mr. Emlyn Jones KC shared testimonies from neighbors, including one woman who reported hearing a piercing scream just two days before Sara's death. The scream, she noted, lasted just a few seconds and then abruptly ended.

A woman living close to the family's old home in West Byfleet reported hearing extremely loud noises, including sharp slapping sounds, along with the heart-wrenching screams of young girls.

Caution: This article contains information that may be unsettling for some readers.

Another neighbor from West Byfleet reported hearing loud banging and rattling noises, which were frequently accompanied by the sounds of a child crying or screaming, as revealed in court.

She thought about informing social services about what she had heard, but in the end, she chose not to, as stated by Mr. Emlyn Jones KC.

Mr. Emlyn Jones KC reported that investigators discovered a bloodied cricket bat, a rolling pin with Sara's DNA, a metal pole, a belt, and some rope close to the family's shed.

He explained to the jury, "You can now revisit the bruises and fractures that Sara endured with a better grasp of how some of those injuries likely occurred."

Prosecutors reported that plastic bags sealed with parcel tape were discovered in the family's garbage bins. This was after Ms. Batool placed two separate online orders for a total of 18 rolls of parcel tape.

“It’s clear what these are. They are hoods made at home. They were put over Sara's head and secured with tape,” stated Mr. Emlyn Jones KC.

He questioned, "If an adult in the household is responsible for this, why aren’t the others stepping in to help her? Why isn’t anyone else intervening to stop this awful situation?"

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool, and Faisal Malik are each confronting two allegations connected to the passing of Sara Sharif.

The jurors were informed that Ms. Batool had sent messages to her sisters, confessing that she was aware Sara was being mistreated by her husband at home.

"Her body is full of bruises; she looks like she's been seriously battered," read a message from May 2021.

"It said, 'The unfortunate girl is unable to walk.'"

During the summer of 2022, Ms. Batool reached out to her sister via text, sharing her worries about how to hide Sara's bruises.

"I can't hide it at all," she remarked.

"He attacked Sara yesterday, and there's no way I can send her to school on Monday with her looking like that."

Mr. Sharif, Ms. Batool, and Mr. Malik have all been charged with two offenses in connection with the death of Sara Sharif.

The court had earlier been informed that Mr. Sharif, Ms. Batool, and Mr. Malik made their way to Islamabad, Pakistan, along with Sara’s five siblings on August 9, 2023, which was the day before her body was discovered.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Sharif contacted the police in Pakistan and confessed to killing Sara shortly after his family's flight arrived in Islamabad.

The jurors were informed that Mr. Sharif's argument was that Ms. Batool was the one accountable for Sara's death. He allegedly made a false confession during a phone call and in a written note to safeguard his wife.

Sara endured 11 spinal fractures, suffered burns on her buttocks from a household iron, had six suspected human bite marks, and displayed indications of a traumatic brain injury, the court was informed.

The three individuals accused, who resided with Sara prior to her passing, are also facing charges related to causing or permitting the death of a child, a claim they dispute.