[The Father and Stepmother of 10-Year-Old Girl Who Died of Abuse Sentenced to Life in Prison
The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl who died of severe abuse in England have been sentenced to life in prison for murder. Urfan Sharif, 42, and Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of the murder of Sara Sharif, whose body was found in their home on August 10, 2023. The girl’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Prosecutors described Sara’s death as the culmination of a “campaign of abuse” that included over 70 fresh injuries, as well as older injuries such as bruising, burns, fractures, and bite marks. The girl’s uncle fled to Pakistan with the girl’s father and stepmother, who later phoned UK police to claim they had “legally punished” the girl and that she died.
Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, who was awarded custody of the girl and her older brother after reports that Urfan Sharif was physically abusing his children, released a statement describing the trio as “cowards, sadists, and executioners.” Surrey County Council, which raised concerns about the family, plans to review the circumstances of Sara’s death.
The trial exposed horrific details of the abuse Sara suffered, including her being taken out of school to prevent authorities from discovering the abuse. Sara was described as a feisty and energetic girl who dreamed of being a fairytale princess. Her spirit was still evident in a video taken two days before her death, which showed her dancing at home despite multiple broken bones and iron burns.
The judge in the case, John Cavanagh, expressed his disgust and outrage at the level of cruelty Sara suffered, stating that her death was “the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and what can only be described as the torture of this small child.” Politicians and officials have called for a review of the failures of child protection services in the case, and a review is underway to identify what went wrong and to prevent such cases in the future.
Source link