Sara Sharif trial: Father and stepmother found guilty of murder
Photo credit: Surrey Police
Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, have been found guilty in connection with her death.
BBC News for the South East region.
The parents of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, including her stepmother, have been convicted in connection with her murder.
Sara endured more than two years of mistreatment, suffering from being restrained, burned, and battered. Her lifeless body, covered in numerous wounds, was discovered at her family's residence in Woking, Surrey, last year.
On August 9, 2023, the day after Sara's passing, her father Urfan Sharif, who is 43 years old, along with her 30-year-old stepmother Beinash Batool and her 29-year-old uncle Faisal Malik, traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, taking Sara's siblings with them.
Malik was deemed responsible for causing or permitting her death.
Mr. Justice Cavanagh stated at the Old Bailey, "This case has been particularly stressful and traumatic more than any other."
Sharif remained unresponsive when the judgments were announced, whereas Batool was in tears.
As the accused were taken out of the courtroom, Malik was visibly in tears.
The sentencing is scheduled for next week.
Caution: This article contains information that may be upsetting to some readers.
An autopsy revealed that Sara had sustained injuries, including what appeared to be bite marks from a human, as well as burns from an iron and scalds from hot water prior to her death on August 8 of last year.
Beside Sara's body, discovered by the police in a bunk bed, was a note written in her father's handwriting. It stated: "To anyone who finds this note, I am Urfan Sharif, and I am the one who killed my daughter by beating her."
Additional information about this topic.
At the beginning, the jurors were informed that Sharif's argument was that Batool was to blame for Sara's death. He had written a false confession in a note and later discussed it over the phone in an attempt to shield his wife from any responsibility.
During the cross-examination, Sharif admitted that he takes "complete responsibility" for Sara's death.
Sara's mother, Olga Domin, honored her daughter by saying, "Sara's smile had the power to light up even the darkest space."
She described Sara as having lovely brown eyes, a heavenly voice, and a distinct personality.
"She will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and her joyful laughter will continue to brighten our lives," she expressed.
"We really miss Sara a lot. Sending you all our love, princess."
Sharif wed Ms. Domin in 2009, but the couple parted ways in 2015. Their separation was marked by allegations of mistreatment as they fought for custody of their children.
In 2019, Sara was residing with her mother when the family court in Guildford granted custody to Sharif. At that time, Sharif had already divorced Sara’s mother and married Batool.
Photo credit: Surrey Police
On August 10 of last year, Sara Sharif's remains were discovered at her residence in Woking.
When authorities discovered Sara's body, they identified over 70 fresh wounds on her.
She had endured 11 spinal fractures, sustained burns on her backside from a household iron, showed indications of a traumatic brain injury, and had six likely bite marks from a human.
Dental impressions confirmed that the bite marks did not belong to the male defendants; however, Batool declined to provide those impressions.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC had earlier mentioned that authorities discovered a cricket bat with blood on it, a rolling pin containing Sara's DNA, a metal pole, as well as a belt and a rope, all located near the family's shed.
Photo credit: Surrey Police
A cricket bat, marked with blood, was discovered close to the family's outdoor restroom in Woking.
In June 2022, Sara's elementary school observed a bruise beneath her left eye. By March 2023, they also spotted a bruise on her chin and a dark spot around her right eye.
She provided several inconsistent stories about how she sustained her injuries and started wearing a hijab to conceal her facial injuries in January 2023.
In April 2023, she was taken out of regular school to be taught at home.
Neighbors provided testimonies to the court, including a woman who resided near the family's former home in West Byfleet. She reported hearing extremely loud sounds of slapping and disturbing screams from young girls.
In court, Sharif stated that when he returned home on the evening of August 8, 2023, he discovered his wife sitting on the bedroom floor, cradling Sara.
In providing his testimony, he mentioned that Batool informed him that the girl had tumbled down the stairs while playing with another kid, and described her as “being over the top.”
Sharif mentioned that he told Sara to "wake up" and tried to lift her arm, but it just fell loosely.
According to the jurors, his response was to strike Sara in the abdomen two times with a pole for "pretending."
He mentioned earlier that he performed CPR on his daughter for ten minutes until Batool advised him to stop.
Sharif mentioned that when he inquired about the ambulance, Batool responded, "It's unnecessary because she has already passed away."
In an emergency call, Sara Sharif's father admitted to the police that he was responsible for her death.
About an hour after his family arrived in Islamabad, Sharif contacted the police in Pakistan and informed the operator that he had killed Sara.
During the eight-minute and thirty-four-second call, he informed the operator that he had "legally punished her," resulting in her death.
During the conversation, he mentioned that Sara had misbehaved, which led him to physically punish her.
"I never meant to take her life; I just hit her harder than I should have," Sharif explained to the operator.
Image credit: Surrey Police
Urfan Sharif wrote a note that was discovered near Sara's body, hidden under a pillow, in which he admitted to taking his daughter's life.
During a tense day in the courtroom, Sharif publicly declared that he accepts complete accountability for Sara's passing.
He surprising stated, “I acknowledge everything I mentioned during our phone conversation and in my written message. Each and every word.”
He later claimed that he never meant to kill Sara and refused to alter his plea.
He informed the jury that he had not been truthful when he referred to his wife, Batool, as a “psycho” during an earlier part of the trial.
Sharif acknowledged that he struck Sara, but he refuted claims that he bit or burned her.
Batool and Malik refrained from providing any testimony during the trial.
Det Ch Supt Mark Chapman, who is part of the major crime team for Surrey and Sussex Police, expressed that in his three decades of working in law enforcement, he has never encountered a case that involved “such terrible suffering of a young individual.”
"This is a situation that impacts everyone involved, and I’m certain it has affected many people in the community too," he stated.
Detective Chief Inspector Craig Emmerson stated that the murder was one of the most challenging and heartbreaking cases they had encountered in Surrey Police's history.
In a statement given outside the Old Bailey, he remarked, "The killing of a child is truly horrifying, but the mistreatment Sara endured throughout her brief life makes this situation especially troubling."
Libby Clark from the Crown Prosecution Service described Sara as a "cheerful, sociable, and vibrant child" whose life was taken by those who were supposed to care for her the most.
"In a tiny house filled with a large family, all the adults would have quickly noticed what was happening to Sara. Still, none of them stepped in to intervene or alert anyone," she remarked.
"They each contributed to the circumstances that resulted in her unfortunate demise."
Photo credit: Surrey Police
Surveillance footage showing the family at Heathrow Airport.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, stated that Sara was "taken from us by those closest to her who were supposed to love and care for her the most."
"They will have to deal with the repercussions of that awful action," she stated.
Maria Neophytou, the interim chief executive of NSPCC, stated that the abuse Sara experienced brings to light important concerns about the protection of children.
"It's crucial for the Child Safeguarding Practice Review to find out how Sara could have been better protected, to help ensure that similar tragedies don't occur again in the future," she stated.
Rachael Wardell from Surrey County Council expressed that the organization is committed to being deeply involved in the upcoming review to gain a better understanding of the broader factors related to Sara's death.
If you're facing any of the challenges discussed in this post, you can check out BBC Action Line for a compilation of resources and support hotlines that are available to assist you whenever you need it.
Stay connected with BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. If you have any story suggestions, feel free to email us at [email protected] or send us a message on WhatsApp at 08081 002250.
