A father and stepmother in England have been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, whose death exposed years of abuse and failures by child protection services, according to a report.
Urfan Sharif, 42, and Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of murder after what prosecutors described as a "campaign of abuse," the Associated Press reported. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing her death.
Sara was found dead on Aug. 10, 2023, at her home in Surrey, her body marred by the brutality of the abuse she endured. Court documents describe over 70 marks of recent abuse among signs of prior injuries, including burns, bite marks, bruises and fractures.
The three adults fled to Pakistan following Sara's death, with Sharif tipping police off with a call claiming he "legally punished her, and she died," according to prosecutors.
The violence was so normalized that family members ignored her injuries, even at public gatherings. Her father made her wear a hijab—not for religious reasons, but to hide the bruises from prying eyes, according to the judge.
Repeated run-ins with social services failed to protect Sara, whose father and stepmother obtained custody of her and an older brother following reports of abuse attributed to their mother. An investigation by child services was initiated after Sara's school reported bruising, but did not result in any action from the agency. Instead, Sara's father removed her from school to avoid additional reporting of the abuse.
During the trial, Sharif admitted to throttling Sara with his hands and battering her with a cricket bat.
"Sara's death was the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and what can only be described as the torture of this small child," said Justice John Cavanagh. "The degree of cruelty is almost inconceivable."
Sara was remembered as a "feisty" child who dreamed of being a fairy tale princess. A heartbreaking video taken two days before her death showed her smiling and dancing, despite suffering from broken bones and iron burns.
"She is now an angel who looks down on us from heaven, she is no longer experiencing violence."" said her mother, Olga Sharif, who called the killers "cowards" and "sadists."
Officials are now calling for urgent reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"Her death is a heartbreaking reminder of the profound weaknesses in our child protection system," said Rachel de Souza, children's commissioner for England. "We have been here before — and each time we have said 'never again.'"
