Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been sentenced to life in prison for murdering the 10-year-old schoolgirl.
Father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, showed no reaction as they stood with their heads bowed in the dock at The Old Bailey while sentenced to a minimum prison term of 40 years and 33 years respectively.
In the public gallery there were cheers and cries of “yes” following the three-hour long sentencing hearing a week after the pair had been found guilty of Sara’s murder.
Mr Justice Cavanagh said Sara’s death “was the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and what can only be described as torture”.
He told Sharif: “You treated her in such a way because you considered it your right to impose harsh discipline on her. Sara was a brave, fiesty and spirited child. She was not submissive as you wanted her to be. She stood up to you.”
Batool was prepared to “sacrifice” her stepdaughter, the judge said: “Put bluntly, you did not care about Sara enough to save her.”
Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also sentenced to a minimum of 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Earlier, Sara’s mother Olga Sharif, who watched the proceedings remotely from Poland, said Sara was “always smiling” and her “own unique character”.
Key Points
- Sara Sharif’s father jailed for life with minimum term of 40 years
- Stepmother to serve minimum of 33 years while uncle also jailed
- Judge describes scale of torture and ‘gruesome’ abuse
- Sara’s mother Olga says her killers are ‘executioners’
- Sara Sharif case ‘absolutely sickening’, says education secretary
Sara Sharif's father 'derived grim satisfaction from campaign of violence', judge says
14:45 , Holly EvansRead the full story: Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother start life sentences to cries of ‘evil’
14:26 , Holly EvansSara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been jailed for life for repeatedly inflicting pain and trauma during a “campaign of abuse” which resulted in the 10-year-old’s death.
With his voice shaking, the judge described her treatment as “nothing short of gruesome” as he outlined the horrifiying injuries she endured while she was tortured by her family members.
The pair learned their fate after Sara’s mother, Olga Domin, who lives in Poland, called them “sadists” and “executioners”.
Read the full article here:
Their gruesome abuse laid bare, Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother jailed for life
Inside Sara Sharif’s unassuming house of horrors where schoolgirl was beaten to death
14:19 , Holly EvansTo outsiders, the semi-detached council house on Hammond Road in Woking would have looked no different to those of its neighbours.
A proud homeowner, Beinash Batool, 30, had ensured that her family home was always in pristine condition, with a clear kitchen and a spotless living room.
Little were people to know that her 10-year-old stepdaughter Sara Sharif was the one forced to carry out the cleaning and laundry, and that within those four walls she was being horrifically abused and degraded by her own family.
Read the full article here:
Inside Sara Sharif’s unassuming house of horrors where schoolgirl was beaten to death
CPS say the evidence painted a ‘devastating picture’ of abuse inflicted on Sara
13:26 , Holly EvansThe Crown Prosecution Service’s specialist prosecutor Libby Clark has described Sara Sharif as “a lively and joyful 10-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short” by the people who should’ve protected her.
She says the evidence “painted a devastating picture of the suffering Sara experienced leading up to her death and the campaign of abuse she was being subjected to in her own family home”.
Her injuries revealed the extent of the “cruelty inflicted” on her, while her father, stepmother and uncle’s decision to flee to Pakistan “demonstrated a shocking disregard for her life”.
She added: “Today’s sentences reflect the cruelty and gravity of their crimes - and while no sentence can bring Sara back, we hope this outcome is able to provide some small comfort to all those that knew and loved her.”
Shouts of ‘evil’ as defendants led from the dock
13:10 , Holly EvansUpon their sentencing, the judge asked members of the public gallery to be quiet after clapping broke out when Sharif was handed his jail term.
As they were being led from the docks, a shout of “evil” could be heard.
None of the defendants responded to the sentences and kept their heads bowed.
NSPCC calls for answers and government change after ‘horrific abuse’
13:06 , Holly EvansMaria Neophytou, Acting CEO of the NSPCC, said: “With the sentencing of Sharif and Batool for Sara Sharif’s murder and Mailk for allowing her death, this shocking and heart-breaking court case has concluded. But it is vital that we do not allow the memory of Sara and what she was made to suffer to fade.
“The Child Safeguarding Practice Review must undertake an exhaustive search for answers so we can understand how this horrific abuse was able to happen, and for so long. The recommendations must then be quickly implemented, to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in Surrey, and across the UK.
“At the same time the Government must recognise something more fundamental has to change. Sara has now joined a lengthening list from recent years, which also includes Arthur Labinjo Hughes, Star Hobson and Alfie Phillips, where horrific abuse from a parent or carer has directly led to the death of a young child.
“To significantly reduce the likelihood of more of these terrible cases emerging, there needs to be substantial, nationwide, reform and investment in the services which we rely on to keep our children safe.”
Sara Sharif’s uncle jailed for 16 years
13:01 , Holly EvansSara Sharif’s uncle Faisal Malik has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
He will serve two thirds of this in custody before being released on licence.
Beinash Batool jailed for minimum of 33 years
13:00 , Holly EvansSara Sharif’s stepmother Beinash Batool has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 33 years.
Urfan Sharif jailed for life with minimum term of 40 years
13:00 , Holly EvansUrfan Sharif, for the murder of Sara Sharif has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.
Batool ‘willingly encouraged or assisted ‘ Sharif in abusing his daughter
12:57 , Holly EvansTurning to Beinash Batool, Mr Justice Cavanagh said that she had “willingly encouraged or assisted” Sharif in the abuse he meted out to his young daughter.
“You knew the treatment sara was suffering was wrong but you were prepared to sacrifice Sara,” he said.
Referring to the bite marks found on her body, which Batool refused to comply with dental impressions, he said: “These were not affectionate nibbles, these were bites.”
He continued: “You took part in the tying up and hooding of Sara, she was tied up even when Urfan Sharif was not in the house
He added that Batool had also taken an “active part” in the maltreatment towards the end of her life.
Taking her lawyer’s submissions into account, he recognised that Batool was the victim of honour-based abuse, and was under a great deal of strain, and was also the “occasional victim” of Sharif.
“I have no doubt you feared Urfan Sharif and felt pressured to stay,” he said.
Case shows danger of unsupervised home-schooling, judge says
12:49 , Holly EvansMr Justice Cavanagh said Sara’s death and abuse shows the “dangers of unsupervised home schooling of vulnerable children”.
He stressed that while it was not the purpose of the sentencing to comment on the role of the authorities, he said the case “brings into sharp relief” the issue with parents being able to abuse their children without supervision.
Sara wrote card to her father saying ‘I love you Dad’
12:44 , Holly EvansAmong the most heartbreaking evidence, the judge says, was a short story she wrote that described Batool as a “queen who is beautiful and young”.
She also wrote a birthday card to Sharif that said “I love you, dad”, and an apology note that asked for forgiveness for answering back, which said “Please forgive me I am so sorry.”
“In reality, abuse for anyone else that would be exceptional had become normalised,” the judge says.
He added that Sharif and Batool had persuaded Sara that she deserved the treatment.
Sara was a ‘beautiful little girl’ who remained cheerful despite the odds
12:41 , Holly EvansTurning to Sara, Mr Justice Cavanagh described her as a “beautiful little girl” who was “full of personality”.
He says her mother describes her as “always smiling and had her own unique character”.
The judge goes on to quote a teaching assistant at her primary school describing Sara as “bubbly, confident, chatty, engaging”, who would enjoy putting on a dance or a show.
He added that Sara was “a very courageous little girl with an unquenchable spirit”, who had remained cheerful even in the most difficult of circumstances.
He says a video filmed not long before she died of her dancing in front of the TV shows her mobility was impaired, but despite everything, she still smiled at the camera.
Abuse against Sara was ‘nothing short of gruesome'
12:40 , Holly EvansThe judge’s voice shook as he described some of the injuries Sara suffered, describing the abuse as “nothing short of gruesome”.
Delivering his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh described some of the 71 “fresh” injuries found on Sara’s body during the post-mortem, including two open burn wounds on her buttocks from an iron, a break in her hyoid neck bone, six human bite marks and a brain injury.
The judge noted that further, older injuries had been found on the 10-year-old’s body, other than the 71 inflicted in the several weeks before her death.
He said: “This treatment of a 10-year-old child is nothing short of gruesome.”
The judge added that no medical help was sought for Sara and “it’s hard to imagine” the terror the girl must have felt.
Defendants returned due to pressure from Sharif’s family, judge says
12:37 , Holly EvansMr Justice Cavanagh then says his belief the trio only returned to the UK in September 2023 due to pressure placed upon them by their family and the Pakistani authorities.
“Though you returned voluntarily, I am satisfied that none of you did so because you decided to own up to what you did.
“Rather, you left because Urfan Sharif’s family instructed you to do so - as a result of the heat you were bringing down upon the wider family.”
Decision to flee to Pakistan was ‘quite extraordinary'
12:35 , Holly EvansMr Justice Cavanagh says the 10-year-old suffered a decline in the last few days before her death, partially due to a traumatic brain injury she had suffered from the abuse.
After being called home by Batool, her father Urfan Sharif did not seek medical help and instead took a metal pole and “beat Sara vigorously on her abdomen to punish her” for pretending to be ill.
She died within minutes, at which point the defendants plotted to flee to Islamabad.
“The steps that the three of you took immediately after Sara’s death were quite extraordinary,” the judge says.
“You did not call the police or an ambulance. Instead, you immediately sprang into action to protect yourself by taking steps to flee to Pakistan with a view to abandoning Sara’s body in the house within less than an hour of her death.”
Treatment of Sara Sharif ‘nothing short of gruesome’
12:33 , Holly EvansThe court is now hearing how Sara was restrained with masking tape and a skipping rope in the last few weeks of her life.
“Sara’s DNA and hair were found on the masking tape and in one of the hoods,” he says.
“This treatment of a 10-year-old child is nothing short of gruesome. It is hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been for Sara, especially as the treatment was at the hands of her own parents,” he adds.
She had also been forced to wear a nappy while restrained, and had been left to “stew in her own urine and faeces”.
At the time of her death, she was also underweight and undernourished.
Post-mortem evidence described as ‘harrowing’
12:28 , Holly EvansSumming up the post-mortem evidence, the judge described it as “harrowing” and that it revealed the “almost unbelievable torture” to which she was subjected.
“This poor child was battered with great force again and again,” he said.
“The post-mortem evidence shows that when she died, Sara had at least 71 separate fresh injuries on her body, mainly bruises and abrasions in various places,” he begins.
He added that he has “no doubt” that many injuries would have been missed having had time to heal.
Recalling her broken hyoid bone in her neck, which was a “highly unusual” injury in a child, he said: “This is a very unusual injury and was the the result of very vigorous and energetic manual strangulation, possibly on more than one occasion.”
The judge also referenced the distressing burn marks to her buttocks, where she had been branded for several seconds with a domestic iron.
“This would have required two people to carry out, one to hold Sara down and the other to press Sara against the iron.”
“Sara had this terrible wound in her buttocks for a number of weeks before she died, but nobody had properly treated it or sought medical help for her.”
Sara was a ‘brave, feisty and spirited’ child
12:21 , Holly EvansReferring to Urfan Sharif, the judge said: “She was a brave feisty and spirited child, she was not submissive as you wanted her to be, she stood up to you.
“I have no doubt that your ego and sense of self importance was boosted by the power you wielded over her and the rest of the family.
Mr Justice Cavanagh said that Sara was just a “normal child of her age”, adding: “She never did anything that might conceivably have justified any part of the treatment she endured.
He continued: “As far as you were concerned Beinash Batool, you went along with the abuse of Sara. You cared less as she was not your biological child.”
The judge said that to “put it bluntly, you did not care enough about Sara to save her”.
“The stress, pain and trauma this campaign of abuse would have inflicted upon Sara is difficult to contemplate.”
Sara’s family treated her as if she was ‘worthless'
12:14 , Holly EvansThe judge has said the defendants treated Sara as if she was “worthless”, with both her father and stepmother having any concern “for the happiness or the quality of life of this small child”.
“It was clear from a very young age she was treated as a skivvy in the family, she was made to do the washing and the hanging up, she was made to tidy the house,” she said.
He added: “While she was theoretically being homeschool, there is no evidence she received any form of education whatsoever.
Stating this was simply “a ruse” to hide the abuse from the authorities, he said: “While she was also being subjected to despicable abuse, she was also being denied an education.”
Judge says Sara’s death was a ‘culmination of years of neglect’
12:11 , Alex RossDelivering his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh said Sara’s death was a “culmination of years of neglect”, “frequent assault” and “torture”.
Addressing the defendants in the dock, he said what happened to the 10-year-old was “almost inconceivable” and that none of them had shown “a shred of remorse”.
The judge added: “It is no exaggeration to describe the campaign of abuse against Sara as torture.”
Defendants had not shown a ‘shred of true remorse’
12:11 , Holly EvansAddressing the defendants, Mr Justice Cavanagh said: “The courts at the Old Bailey have been witness to many accounts of awful crime. “But few can have been more terrible than the account of the despicable treatment of this poor child the jury in this case have had to endure.”
Running through the background of the case, he said that none of them had shown a “shred of true remorse”.
“Urfan Sharif, it is clear from the evidence that I am sure is accurate that your assaults on Sara commenced in or about 2019,” he says.
“It is clear from them that you regularly inflicted serious violence on your daughter - you would also design unpleasant punishments for her, such as making her stand against a wall, holding her arms up, or making this small child to sit ups.”
The judge adds that the jury and court have been shown evidence that he woke up in the middle of the night to abuse her and noted a “sinister” video in which he slapped his daughter away from she tried to play with her sibling.
Watch sentencing from the Old Bailey live
12:07 , Alex Ross‘Level of cruelty almost inconceivable’, says judge
12:00 , Holly EvansOpening his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh said: “Sara was 10 years old when she was murdered. You Urfan Sharif were her father. You Beinash Batool were her stepmother. You Faisal Malik were her uncle.”
He added that Sara’s death was the “culmination of years of neglect” and what could only be described as the “torture of this child”. He stressed that this was mainly, but not entirely, at the hands of her father.
“The degree of cruelty involved is amost inconceivable and it happened in entire sight, in front of her family.”
Judge takes his seat to deliver sentence
11:52 , Holly EvansAfter a 10 minute pause, Mr Justice Cavanagh has returned to Court 6 of the Old Bailey to sentence Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool for murder.
Faisal Malik is due to be sentenced for causing or allowing the death of Sara Sharif.
Judge to return in 10 minutes for sentencing
11:44 , Holly EvansMr Justice Cavanagh has retired for 10 minutes before returning to sentence the three defendants.
We’ll continue to bring you all the latest updates.
Uncle 'lacked courage' to stop Sara abuse, lawyer says
11:43 , Holly EvansGiving mitigation on Faisal Malik’s behalf, Michael Ivers KC said that he “lacked courage” to intervene and stop his older brother Urfan Sharif, who was 14 years his senior.
He added that “there is absolutely no evidence he was ever actually present when any violence took place”.
Mr Ivers tells the judge he is not making the submission that Malik was not aware of the violence being meted out to the schoolgirl, but says he wouldn’t have been able to see many of the injuries suffered by Sara.
At the time, Malik spent large amounts of time out of the house working at a McDonalds and studying at the University of Portsmouth.
Faisal Malik had ‘no idea of the dysfunctional family’ dynamic
11:35 , Holly EvansSpeaking on behalf of Faisal Malik, who was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, Michael Ivers KC said his client was unaware of the family situation he was entering.
“When one listens to comments on this case... the temptation to simply lump these defendants together will have been a very strong one,” he says.
Ivers then goes on to say Malik “didn’t have full knowledge,” adding: “He will have had absolutely no idea of the dysfunctional family he was arriving into.”
Malik, who is 14 years younger than Sharif, moved from Pakistan to study at university and came to live with Sara’s family during the final months of her life.
Sara’s stepmother expresses ‘genuine remorse’ for schoolgirl’s death
11:29 , Holly EvansSpeaking on behalf of her client, Caroline Carberry KC told the court: “Beinash Batool expresses genuine remorse for Sara’s unintended death, deep personal regret for remaining in her relationship with Urfan Sharif and true sorrow.”
She added that at one point, Batool did have “Sara’s best interests at heart”.
The judge heard that Batool had been an “isolated and vulnerable young woman” who was cast out by her own family when she was 18 after becoming the victim of honour-based abuse.
Ms Carberry highlighted her “complex family background” which “made it difficult to remove herself to a place of safety”, and that it was the nature of her marriage that led to her involvement.
Batool’s requests for her help from her family were ‘ignored'
11:23 , Holly EvansCaroline Carberry has returned to the WhatsApp messages Batool both received from Sharif and sent to her sister, which showed a “flavour of his cruel and controlling nature”.
They included messages from Sharif in which he said both she and Sara had “made his life hell” and that he would deal with them both when home.
In another message, she told her sister: “I want to report him but I’ll lose the kids, I feel so sorry for Sara.”
Ms Carberry says this shows “how bleak this marriage was” and that Batool “tried to protect Sara” but requests for help from her own family were “ignored”.
“He said he’s going to kill me,” one message reads, while in another she sent images of Sara’s bruises.
Batool was ‘subordinate’ to her husband, her lawyer claims
11:11 , Holly EvansCaroline Carberry KC for Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool has suggested a starting point of 15 years, adding there should be a distinction between her client and Urfan Sharif.
“At the forefront of everyone’s mind in this courtroom and beyond is Sara who’s young life was needlessly lost as a result of the physical abuse she sustained in her own home,” she says.
“For her part in Sara’s death the only sentence the court can impose on Beinash Batool is life.
She argued that Batool was the “subordinate” to her husband, and said that jurros had seen from Sharif’s evidence that he was a “controlling manipulative and violent man.”
“He was the insitgator of violence towards Sara and the long term inflictor on violence upon her. Further those features of his character - fear control and mnaipulation - dominated his relationship with Ms Batool.”
Urfan Sharif’s lawyer says he and Batool are ‘equally culpable’
11:03 , Holly EvansUrfan Sharif’s lawyer Naeem Mian KC has called for the appropriate starting point for his client is 15 years.
He told the judge: “May I say from the outset that nothing I say is intended to diminish or mitigate the horror that poor child was put through.” He added that the crime rightly “invokes a sense of outrage, anger and disgust” but that the judge should approach the case “dispassionately”.
Referring to the sentencing start point, he said: “We know that will be subject to a significant uplift. We understand that as does Mr Sharif.”
He adds: “The case was advanced on the basis that there was no intention to kill.”
Referring to Batool he said that she was “equally as culpable”, drawing reference to the bite marks, the burns and her willingness to call Sharif home to administer punishments.
Prosecutor suggests 14 years for uncle of Sara Sharif
10:52 , Holly EvansReferring to Faisal Malik, Sara’s uncle who lived with the family and was convicted of causing or allowing a child’s death, the prosecutor suggested the starting point should be 14 years.
The maximum sentence for causing or allowing the death of a child is life imprisonment.
“Sara’s dreadful treatment was taking place in an extremely small flat, and then in a larger but still small house. Faisal Malik was living in that house as a member of the family,” the prosecutor says.
Sara’s death was a ‘gross breach of trust’ at the hands of her family
10:45 , Holly EvansThe court heard that Sara’s murder was aggravated by a number of factors, including the couple’s refusal to seek medical assistance to treat her injuries, and to restrain her using homemade hoods and packaging tape.
As a result of being restrained, the prosecutor said Sara was unable to access the toilet and was forced to wear nappies to soil herself.
“This is a gross breach of trust, because she was the defendant’s own little child in their care. She suffered this violence in her own home where she should have been safe and loved and cared for,” he said.
“Throughout that period, there had been extensive steps taken to cover up Sara’s violent treatment, including twice removing her from school because there were injuries they felt they couldn’t conceal, under the pretence they were going to homeschool her.
“It is further aggravated by the fact all three defendants fled the country and remained at large for upwards of a month.”
Violence against Sara was sustained, excessive and used severe force
10:41 , Holly EvansSpeaking for the CPS, William Emlyn-Jones KC said that while their convictions did not quite meet the conditions for a whole-life term, he invited the judge to consider the “seriousness” of her murder.
“The death of Sara was not specifically premediated or planned however we do submit that the violence to Sara was substantially premediated, and had plainly had become their routine approach to disciplining Sara for their perception of her naughtiness or misbehaviour,” he said.
“She had suffered serious violence from the age of at least six years old. The violence included the use of weapons, a cricket bat, the use of a truncheon from a broken leg of a high chair, burns and scalds from boiling liquid which appeared to have been poured on Sara at a time when she was restrained and couldn’t move away.”
He added that the violence was not only excessive, but was also sustained and required “severe force”, as evident in the number of injuries she received.
Sara’s mother Olga says her killers are ‘executioners’
10:27 , Holly EvansProsecutor William Emlyn-Jones KC has read out a statement on behalf of Sara’s mother Olga Domin, who has joined the sentencing remotely from Poland.
In her statement, she said: “Sara was always smiling, she had her own unique character. “The only thing I had left to give to my daughter was to give her a beautiful Catholic funeral which she deserves.
“She is not far from home and is visited every day. There are candles for her and flowers for her and she is now an angel that looks down from heaven.
“She is no longer experiencing violence. To this day I cannot understand how someone can be such a sadist to a child.”
She added: “You are sadists although even this word is not enough for you. I would say you are executioners. As a result of Sara’s death, I am under constant psychological supervision and I am also taking strong sedatives.”
Judge enters
10:20 , Holly EvansMr Justice Cavanagh has entered Court 6 of the Old Bailey and the sentencing hearing has begun.
Courtroom begins to assemble
10:16 , Holly EvansThe courtroom at the Old Bailey has begun to assemble, with lawyers for both the defendants and the CPS taking their places.
At least three members of the jury have returned to watch Mr Justice Cavanagh deliver his sentencing remarks.
Beinash Batool has appeared in the dock wearing a black suit and blouise, with Faisal Malik sitting to her right in a grey prison tracksuit accompanied by an interpreter.
Urfan Sharif sits to his right wearing a grey quarter-zip pullover, with all three separated by dock officers.
How a trial laid bare the brutally short life of a 10-year-old schoolgirl
10:13 , Holly Evans“She was beautiful, an angel, lovely, bubbly,” a weeping Urfan Sharif told the Old Bailey as he recounted his daughter Sara Sharif’s love of eating chicken biryani and playing guitar.
Yet just days later, he would take full responsibility for her traumatic death, admitting to a campaign of abuse that had seen the 10-year-old suffer more than 25 fractures, bite marks, a traumatic brain injury and a burn caused by a hot iron.
Over the course of his trial, horrifying details emerged of the brutality inflicted upon the “happy” and “sassy” schoolgirl, whose father told police officers that he had “legally punished” her after she was naughty.
Phoning their non-emergency 101 line after fleeing to Pakistan on 10 August last year, Sharif told Surrey Police that he was a “cruel father” who hadn’t intended to kill his daughter but had lost his temper.
Read the full story here:
Sara Sharif’s mother pays moving tribute to ‘beautiful’ daughter
Sara Sharif’s mother pays tribute to ‘beautiful’ daughter
09:50 , Holly EvansSara Sharif’s mother has paid a moving tribute to her “beautiful” daughter who “was taken too soon”.
In a statement issued through Surrey Police following the verdicts, Sara’s mother Olga Sharif said: “My dear Sara, I ask God to please take care of my little girl, she was taken too soon.
“Sara had beautiful brown eyes and an angelic voice. Sara’s smile could brighten up the darkest room.
“Everyone who knew Sara will know her unique character, her beautiful smile and loud laugh.
“She will always be in our hearts, her laughter will bring warmth to our lives. We miss Sara very much. Love you princess.”
Children like Sara Sharif deserve to be seen, heard and believed
09:35 , Holly EvansIn recent weeks, the heartbreaking details surrounding the death of Sara Sharif have dominated headlines, joining the long list of tragic cases like Baby P, Victoria Climbié, and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
Each time such a tragedy unfolds, there is an outpouring of grief and outrage, followed by promises of lessons learnt and systemic reform. Yet, here we are again, asking the same devastating question: why do these failures keep happening?
As someone deeply involved in child safeguarding and policy through Manchester Met’s Institute for Children’s Futures, particularly in my work on child practice reviews and safeguarding responses in Wales and wider work across England’s safeguarding partnerships, these cases feel personal.
Read the full article here:
Children like Sara Sharif deserve to be seen, heard and believed
485 children died or were harmed by abuse or neglect in last year
09:20 , Holly EvansSeparately, a report published by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel the day after the verdicts in Sara’s case showed that 485 children in England died or were seriously harmed by abuse or neglect, between April 1 2023 and March 31 2024.
Panel chairwoman Annie Hudson described Sara’s case as “harrowing” as she called for a more joined-up approach to child protection, with a need for teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, police and other professionals to share information to understand what is happening in a child’s life.
Surrey County Council said an independently-led safeguarding review – known as a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) – of all professionals who had contact with Sara’s family is under way.
Such reviews are aimed at identifying learning from cases and while no timeframe has been given, it is usually expected reports are published within six months.
Sara Sharif case ‘absolutely sickening’, says education secretary
09:10 , Holly EvansThe Sara Sharif case is “utterly unspeakable,” the Education Secretary has said.
Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What we have seen and heard through the progress of the criminal trial is utterly unspeakable.
“The degree of violence that the poor young girl experienced is just absolutely sickening.”
She added: “I am pleased that her murderers will today be facing justice in their sentencing.”
Children’s Wellbeing Bill to be introduced to government
09:00 , Holly EvansAs part of previously announced reforms to children’s social care, the Government said it would be introducing a new duty on parents where, if their child is subject to a child protection inquiry or is on a child protection plan – meaning the child is suspected of being at risk of significant harm – they will need local authority consent to home educate them.
The plans, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, also include requiring local authorities to have registers of children not in school, in a bid to avoid children slipping under the radar.
The Bill has not yet begun making its way through Parliament, but it is understood it could be introduced in the Commons as early as next week.
England’s Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has described it as “madness” that an at-risk child could be taken out of school, and called for a change in the law so children who are suspected victims of abuse cannot be home educated.
She called on the Government to bring in its reforms “without delay”.
The Department for Education has said its plans will bring in greater safeguards for children in home education “so this can never be used to conceal abuse”.
Sara Sharif’s grandfather says he will fight to keep her siblings in Pakistan
08:50 , Holly EvansSara Sharif’s grandfather says he will fight to keep her siblings in Pakistan, calling it the “safest place for them”.
Muhammad Sharif, paternal grandfather of the murdered 10-year-old, said he will appeal to the High Court in Pakistan to stop Sara’s five siblings from being returned to the UK, the Sunday Times has reported.
Sara’s siblings remain in the city of Jhelum with efforts to return them to the UK still ongoing.
Their identities are protected by a court order.
They were taken to Pakistan by Urfan Sharif, Sara’s step-mother Beinash Batool and her uncle Faisal Malik on 9 August last year, a day before Sara’s body was discovered in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey.
Upon arrival, they were left in the care of their paternal grandfather but were taken into state care after being discovered by Pakistani police during efforts to locate Sharif, Batool and Malik.
The children are now back in the care of their grandfather.
He told The Sunday Times said: “The legal proceedings concerning the custody of the children are ongoing in the Lahore High Court.
“They are enrolled in a reputable school, and we ensure their safety by personally transporting them to and from school.
“I am their guardian and this is the safest place for them to live in, they have an association with me and they are not willing to leave me. We will win the case.”
Sara’s parents had been known to social services as early as 2010
08:39 , Holly EvansFollowing the conviction of Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, for her murder, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, of causing or allowing her death, previously unreportable details about the family’s contact with social services and the courts have been published.
They include:
– Concerns were raised about Sara’s care within a week of her birth in 2013, with her parents Urfan and Olga Sharif known to social services as early as 2010.
– Surrey County Council repeatedly raised “significant concerns” that Sara was likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her parents.
– There were three sets of family court proceedings but allegations that Urfan Sharif was physically abusing Sara and her siblings were never tested in court.
– Sara was repeatedly returned to her parents’ care before finally being placed with her father and stepmother at their home in Woking in 2019, four years before she was murdered there.
Parents were known to social services
08:30 , Sam RkainaIn his trial, Sharif initially blamed Batool for the violence before dramatically accepting “full responsibility”, leaving jurors open mouthed and tearful.
He later appeared to backtrack, denying he had bitten or burned Sara or covered her head in a hood.
Jurors heard that bite marks on Sara’s arm and thigh did not match either Sharif or Malik and only Batool had refused to give impressions of her teeth.
Jurors heard that Sharif had been granted custody in 2019, despite earlier allegations of child abuse and arrests for alleged controlling behaviour towards ex-girlfriends.
In documents later released by the family court, it emerged that concerns were raised about Sara’s care within a week of her birth in 2013, with her parents known to social services as early as 2010.
Surrey County Council repeatedly raised “significant concerns” that Sara was likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her parents.
There were three sets of family court proceedings, but allegations that Sharif was physically abusing Sara and her siblings were never tested in court.
Sara was repeatedly returned to her parents’ care before finally being placed with her father and stepmother, four years before she was murdered.
Abuse ‘became normalised’ trial told
08:10 , Sam RkainaEven as she lay dying in Batool’s lap last August 8, taxi driver Sharif had come home and whacked her in the stomach for “pretending”.
Batool had told her sister that Sharif would “beat the c**p” out of his daughter but failed to do anything to stop it, even calling him home from work to dish out punishments, the court was told.
The abuse had become so “normalised” that university student Malik failed to act after moving in with the family in December 2022.
By January 2023, Sara began wearing a hijab to cover up the bruises at school.
Teachers had twice noticed marks on her face and referred her to social services last March, but the case was dropped within days and the following month Sara was taken out of school.
Within hours of Sara’s death, Sharif and Batool had booked flights to Pakistan for the whole family, including her siblings and half siblings.
The defendants returned to the UK on September 13 2023 - leaving the children behind - and were detained within minutes of a flight touching down at Gatwick airport.
Father and stepmother to be sentenced today
07:48 , Sam RkainaSara Sharif‘s father and stepmother will be sentenced later for killing the 10-year-old after years of horrific abuse.
Last week, Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of her murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.
Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, who lived with them, was convicted of causing or allowing her death after a jury deliberated for nine hours and 46 minutes.
The three defendants will return to the Old Bailey on Tuesday when Mr Justice Cavanagh’s sentencing is expected to be broadcast from the court.
Sara was found dead in a bunkbed at her home in Woking, Surrey, after her father rang police from Pakistan to confess he had beaten her “too much”.
She had suffered more than 25 broken bones, iron burns on her bottom, scalding marks to her feet, and human bites during a campaign of abuse spanning at least two years.
Sharif had hit her with a cricket bat and iron bar, throttled her, and thrown a mobile phone at her head.
Sara was also tied up with packaging tape and her head covered with a makeshift hood during regular bouts of punishment that would have left her in excruciating pain, jurors had heard.
