A COURT is set to sentence Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother on Tuesday for their roles in her death, following a case that revealed prolonged abuse and shocked the country.
Sara, aged 10, was found dead in her bed in August 2023. Her body showed signs of extensive injuries, including bite marks, bruises, broken bones, and burns.
A post-mortem examination revealed she had sustained over 100 injuries and at least 25 fractures.
Her father, Urfan Sharif, 43, admitted during the trial to beating Sara with a cricket bat while she was bound with packaging tape. He also throttled her with his hands, which caused a fracture to the hyoid bone in her neck.
Last week, the Old Bailey found Sharif and Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, guilty after a 10-week trial. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing Sara’s death.
The three adults fled to Pakistan the day after Sara’s death, taking five other children with them. On the way to the airport, Sharif called the police to report his daughter’s death and left behind a handwritten note stating he “did not mean to kill” Sara but had “lost it.”
Abuse missed by authorities
The defendants were arrested on their return to the UK a month later. They were detained upon landing, while the five other children remain in Pakistan.
The case has raised serious concerns about social services. Sara’s father withdrew her from school four months before her death, which left her outside the purview of authorities.
In court, her teacher described how Sara arrived in class wearing a hijab to cover marks on her body. Sara refused to explain the injuries.
Social services had been aware of Sara’s family before she was born. She and her siblings were placed in foster care due to abuse allegations but were later returned to their mother.
In 2019, despite a history of abusive behaviour, custody of Sara and an older sibling was granted to Sharif after he separated from his first wife.
Final days of abuse
The court heard that Sara’s school referred her case to child services in March 2023 after noticing injuries on her face. Social services investigated but took no action. In April 2023, Sharif informed the school that Sara would be home-schooled, further isolating her.
On the day she died, Sharif hit Sara twice in the stomach with a metal high-chair leg while she lay unconscious on her stepmother’s lap. He accused her of pretending. Neither Batool nor Malik expressed remorse during the trial.
Libby Clark from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “None of us can imagine how appalling and brutal Sara’s treatment was in the last few weeks of her short life.”
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza stated: “Sara was failed in the starkest terms by the safety net of services around her.”
The case has led to renewed calls for better protection for children. Prime minister Keir Starmer pledged to strengthen safeguards for home-schooled children after the verdict.
(With inputs from AFP)
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)