In a harrowing case that has shocked the nation, Sara Sharif’s father Urfan Sharif has been jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years for her murder. Due to his age, he will be in his 80s before he is eligible for release. The sentencing follows a trial that revealed the extent of the abuse Sara endured from a young age.
The judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh, detailed the abuse that began when Sara was six or seven years old. He stressed that Sara never did anything to justify such treatment. The judge noted that Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, went along with the abuse and cared less because Sara was not her biological child. Batool made no effort to stop the assaults, often covering Sara’s bruises with make-up and agreeing to take her out of school.
Sentencing Details
Mr Justice Cavanagh described the physical abuse as “sinister” and highlighted several key points in his sentencing:
- Physical Abuse: Sara was treated as a “skivvy” from the age of six or seven, made to do chores and care for her youngest brother.
- Denial of Education: The family denied Sara an education, using homeschooling as a ruse to cover up the abuse.
- Hiding the Abuse: Sara was made to wear a hijab and cover her body, not for religious reasons, but to hide the abuse.
The judge told Batool that she was willing to sacrifice Sara to save her other children. Batool was sentenced to life with a minimum of 33 years. She would call Urfan Sharif when Sara was being “troublesome,” knowing it would likely result in a beating. Batool covered up the abuse by applying make-up to Sara’s bruises and actively participated in the abuse towards the end of Sara’s life.
Sara’s Uncle Sentenced
Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and was sentenced to life with a minimum of 16 years. One of his defences was that he was unaware of the abuse because he was busy on his phone, which the judge dismissed as “preposterous.”
Post-Mortem Evidence
The post-mortem revealed that Sara had at least 71 fresh injuries on her body, including bruises and abrasions, sustained in the days before her death. There were also 25 separate fractures, many of which were highly unusual in a child. The judge discussed a particularly distressing incident where Sara was branded on her buttocks with an iron, requiring two people to carry out the act. Sara also had open burn wounds on her ankles, likely caused by boiling water or a hot pipe.
Mr Justice Cavanagh stressed that Sara’s injuries were not properly treated, and no medical help was sought for her. The case has highlighted the need for better protection and intervention for vulnerable children.
