Sara Sharif homeschooled and made to wear hijab to conceal injuries, court told

According to court testimony, 10-year-old Sara Sharif was required to wear a hijab to hide her injuries and was educated at home in the months leading up to her tragic death from abuse.

Sara endured horrific treatment, including being burned with a heated metal object, bitten, and having a plastic bag taped over her head before her lifeless body was discovered in her family's home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10 of last year.

However, residents in the area had reported hearing slapping noises and the painful cries of girls coming from the house in the years leading up to Sara's death, the Old Bailey was informed. These outbursts were frequently accompanied by a woman yelling phrases like "Be quiet!" and "Get to your room, you little brat!"

Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, who is 42 years old, along with her stepmother, Beinash Batool, aged 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 28, are charged with committing a brutal "campaign of abuse" before her death on August 8.

In court, it was revealed that the accused escaped to Pakistan the next day. Sharif then contacted the police to admit that he had hit Sara excessively as a way of punishing her for her misbehavior. The taxi driver also wrote a note beside Sara’s fully dressed body, stating, “I promise that I never meant to take her life. I just lost control.”

In court on Tuesday, prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC stated that Sara started donning a hijab in January 2023 "to hide injuries to her face and head from others." Neighbors reported to the police that this appeared "odd," as Sara was the only one in her family who wore a hijab.

On April 17, 2023, she was taken out of school and began homeschooling after teachers noticed bruises on her body on three different occasions. During the second incident on March 10, 2023, Sara’s teacher, Helen Simmons, inquired about the two noticeable bruises on her chin and right eye.

Emlyn Jones mentioned, “Sara was reserved and attempted to keep them out of sight. Miss Simmons noticed that Sara frequently adjusted her hijab to cover her face whenever she was reluctant to talk or was being reprimanded. Sara provided several inconsistent explanations for how she ended up with the bruises.”

The teacher asked for guidance and everyone concurred that it was necessary to refer the situation to social services, the prosecutor mentioned. On March 28, the teacher saw another bruise and asked Batool about it. Batool stated that it was the result of a pen. Less than three weeks later, Sara was taken out of school.

"According to Emlyn Jones, this implies that starting in April, Sara had no contact with or interaction with anyone outside."

The prosecutor described several weapons discovered in the home that were thought to have been used against Sara, such as a homemade plastic hood that had her blood on it. “These items are improvised hoods. They were put over Sara’s face and head and secured with tape,” he explained to the jury, mentioning that Batool had purchased 18 rolls of packing tape just in July.

Authorities discovered a cricket bat marked with Sarah's blood, a rolling pin containing her DNA, and pieces of black rope that had her hair on them. Specialists mentioned that a plastic-covered metal pole and a belt buckle seemed to be responsible for some of Sarah's bruises.

A neighbor informed the authorities that on August 6, 2023, just two days prior to Sara’s passing, she heard “a sharp scream.” “It lasted for a few seconds and then abruptly ceased. It came across to her as the scream of someone who was suffering; in her words, ‘it wasn’t a good sound,’” the prosecutor stated.

He further mentioned that feedback from the family’s former neighbors and communications from Batool to her sisters indicated that things were not going smoothly within the Sharif family as early as 2019.

Batool frequently communicated about Sharif's rage, and in May 2021, she texted one of her sisters claiming, “Urfan seriously hurt Sara” and “She is covered in bruises, completely battered.” She expressed, “I genuinely feel for Sara” and mentioned that “the poor girl can hardly walk.” Batool also stated, “I truly want to turn him in” – but ultimately, she did not take action.

In February 2022, during a conversation with her sister Batool expressed similar concerns, stating that Urfan was "hitting Sara" because she was misbehaving. Batool mentioned that "Sara suffers from anxiety and throws up whatever she eats." Her sister responded, "That's not good," to which Batool continued, "She’s just a child, and adults need to grasp that." She also noted that "Urfan's actions only worsen things for her," and added, "If anything were to happen to Sara, I would never forgive myself."

A neighbor from the family's former residence in West Byfleet, Surrey, where they stayed from about 2018 to March 2023, mentioned hearing loud thumping and rattling noises coming from the house. It sounded like someone was knocking and pushing against a door, as if they were trying to get in or let someone know they were stuck behind a door that wouldn’t budge.

Another resident, Chloe Redwin, mentioned that she often hears yelling and screaming, regardless of whether it's day or night.

The prosecutor explained, “There were times when Ms. Redwin heard loud smacking noises that were startling, and they were often followed by the heart-wrenching cries of young girls. Amidst the screams, she could also hear the mother yelling ‘Be quiet,’ and at times, more smacking sounds would occur, accompanied by shouting.”

The accused individuals have denied any wrongdoing in relation to murder and for either causing or permitting the death of a child during the period from December 16, 2022, to August 9, 2023.

The trial presided over by Judge Mr. Justice Cavanagh is anticipated to continue until December 13th.