In a tragic and heart-wrenching case, the father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have been handed life sentences after being convicted of her brutal murder. Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, were sentenced to serve at least 40 and 33 years, respectively, for their roles in the prolonged campaign of torture and abuse that led to the child’s death.
Sara, a British-Pakistani girl, had endured years of horrific violence, suffering severe physical abuse from the age of six. Her body, discovered in August 2023, bore the marks of unimaginable cruelty: bites, bruises, broken bones, and burns inflicted by boiling water and an electric iron.
The Old Bailey court in London heard that the abuse was relentless, with Sara being beaten with metal poles and a cricket bat, while being tied up with parcel tape, rope, and a plastic bag placed over her head. Her stepmother, Batool, failed to intervene or protect the girl, despite knowing the extent of the violence. The child was left to suffer in conditions that no human being should ever endure.
Sara was found lifeless in her bed, with a post-mortem revealing 71 fresh injuries and 25 broken bones. Judge John Cavanagh, who sentenced Sharif and Batool, described the abuse as “acts of extreme cruelty” and criticized the lack of remorse from the perpetrators.
On the day of Sara’s death, her father, Sharif, struck her twice in the stomach with a metal leg from a high chair, even as she lay unconscious on Batool’s lap. The court heard how Sara was a vibrant, spirited girl who loved to sing and dance, but her life was tragically cut short.
Sharif and Batool’s conviction followed a lengthy 10-week trial. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Following Sara’s death, Sharif and Batool fled to Pakistan with five other children, but they were arrested upon their return to the UK after a month on the run.
Despite multiple warnings and reports from Sara’s school regarding visible injuries, authorities failed to intervene in time to save the young girl. Her teacher described how Sara had tried to cover up the marks on her body, and yet no action was taken until it was too late.
This devastating case has raised widespread public outrage over failures in child protection and prompted the UK government to propose new measures under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The bill aims to prevent further tragedies by ensuring that parents who may be putting their children at risk will no longer have the automatic right to withdraw them from school.
Sara’s birth mother, Olga, expressed her heartbreak in court, stating that her daughter is now an angel, looking down from heaven. The case has left a deep scar on the UK’s collective conscience, with ongoing calls for stronger measures to protect vulnerable children from abuse.