A UK court has sentenced the father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, a British-Pakistani girl, to life in prison for her murder. Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 43, received a minimum of 40 years, while her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, was handed a minimum of 33 years.
Sara was found dead in August 2023 at her home in Woking, a town southwest of London. Prosecutors described her death as the result of a sustained “campaign of serious and repeated violence.” The trial revealed disturbing details of her injuries, including burns, multiple broken bones, and bite marks, which prosecutors likened to torture.
Following Sara’s death, her father, stepmother, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, fled to Pakistan. They were later apprehended in September 2023 at London’s Gatwick Airport after returning from Dubai.
The trial at London’s Old Bailey court heard harrowing evidence of Sara’s suffering. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told jurors that the injuries she endured were both severe and prolonged. Despite denying the charges, Urfan and Batool were convicted of murder, while Malik was acquitted of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
During sentencing, Judge John Cavanagh condemned the treatment of Sara as “despicable” and described the abuse as a campaign of torture. Malik received a 16-year prison sentence for his role in Sara’s death.
Sara’s biological mother, Olga Domin, delivered a powerful statement, referring to the convicted pair as “executioners.” “You are sadists, although even this word is not enough for you,” her statement read. “I would say you are executioners.”
Judge Cavanagh reflected on the severity of the crime, stating: “The courts at the Old Bailey have been witness to many accounts of awful crimes, but few can have been more terrible than the account of the despicable treatment of this poor child that the jury in this case had to endure.”
The case has left a deep impact, highlighting the devastating consequences of unchecked domestic abuse and the need for vigilance to protect vulnerable children.
