10-Year-Old Sara Sharif’s Murder Trial Uncovers Horrific Abuse
The murder trial of 10-year-old Sara Sharif has exposed shocking and brutal abuse in the weeks before her death. At the Old Bailey, prosecutors revealed Sara was burned with an iron, tied to a heating pipe, and suffered multiple fractures.
She endured 11 fractures to her spine alone, plus broken collarbone, arms, and ribs, alongside bite marks, bruises, and burns—some at least six weeks old.
Disturbing Signs of Strangulation and Violent Neglect
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, KC, told the court Sara’s injuries included signs of strangulation, evidenced by fractures to her hyoid bone. Her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, stands accused of orchestrating a “brutal campaign of violence” against his own daughter.
In a tearful 999 call made from hiding abroad, Sharif confessed, “I’ve killed my daughter” and admitted, “I beat her up too much.”
Sara Found Dead in Bed, Death Note Nearby
On August 11, 2023, police found Sara’s body at the family home in Surrey. She was lying in her bunk bed under the covers, appearing as if asleep. Next to her was a chilling note allegedly written by Sharif confessing to the killing, saying, “I swear to God my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
Experts detailed burns from a domestic iron pressed onto her buttocks two weeks before her death, confirming the abuse was deliberate.
Family on Trial: Wife and Brother Also Charged
Saris’s mother, Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have also been charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. The trio fled the UK after the death but are now on trial.
Sharif now claims his earlier confession was false and meant to protect others. Batool’s defence says she feared her “violent disciplinarian” husband. Malik denies any knowledge, despite living in the same home.
An eight-and-a-half-minute 999 recording was played to the jury, where Sharif admitted to disciplining Sara harshly but insisted, “I legally punished her, and she died.”
The trial continues as the jury considers the evidence of a horrific campaign of abuse. All three defendants deny murder charges and causing or allowing Sara’s death.
