Sara Sharif’s horrific death exposes failures in social services as UK court hands life sentences to Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool for prolonged abuse and violence.
December 17, 2024: A UK court has sentenced Urfan Sharif, 43, and his partner Beinash Batool, 30, to life imprisonment for the brutal killing of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. The child, subjected to years of “horrific violence” since the age of six, was found dead in her family home in Woking, southwest London, in August 2023.
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Judge John Cavanagh of London’s Old Bailey court imposed a minimum prison term of 40 years for Sharif and 33 years for Batool, condemning the “campaign of torture” inflicted on Sara. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death and received a 16-year sentence.
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“Acts of Extreme Cruelty”
The court heard harrowing details of Sara’s abuse:
- Beaten with a metal pole and a cricket bat.
- Burned with an electric iron and boiling water.
- Trussed up with parcel tape, ropes, and a plastic bag placed over her head with a hole cut for breathing.
- Deprived of access to the bathroom, forced to wear nappies.
Sara’s body was found with 71 injuries, 25 broken bones, and bruises covering her small frame. The judge called her treatment “gruesome,” noting that Sara’s suffering was unimaginable.
“A Worthless Skivvy”
The court emphasized that Sara was treated as “worthless” by her father and stepmother. The judge highlighted Batool’s neglect as she failed to protect Sara, particularly as the girl was not her biological child.
On the day of her death, Sharif struck Sara with the metal leg of a high-chair while she lay unconscious on Batool’s lap. Sharif later fled to Pakistan with Batool, Faisal Malik, and five other children, leaving behind a handwritten note claiming he “did not mean to kill” Sara.
Social Services Failures
Sara’s case has sparked widespread outrage over the repeated failure of UK social services to intervene. Despite previous referrals and concerns:
- Injuries observed at school were reported but no action was taken.
- Her father withdrew her from school in April 2023, citing plans to homeschool her, four months before her death.
Sara’s teacher recounted how she began wearing a hijab to conceal injuries on her body, refusing to explain their cause.
Child Protection Reforms
The case has intensified calls for systemic reforms. Under the proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, parents may lose the automatic right to withdraw children from school if there are suspicions of abuse.
Public Response
Sara’s mother, Olga, called her daughter “an angel who looks down on us from heaven” and expressed disbelief at the sadistic violence inflicted on her child. Law enforcement described the case as “one of the most distressing” investigations they had faced.
The sentencing marks yet another child cruelty tragedy, renewing public demands for accountability and reform within social services to prevent similar failures in the future.
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