Father, stepmother receive life sentences for murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif

Forum 4 days ago

Father, stepmother receive life sentences for murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif

A UK court has sentenced Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, to life imprisonment for the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was found dead with horrific injuries after enduring prolonged abuse.

The ruling was delivered on Tuesday at London’s Old Bailey court. The judge ordered that Sharif serve a minimum of 40 years and Batool at least 33 years before being eligible for parole.

Sara Sharif’s lifeless body was discovered in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023. The court heard harrowing details of the abuse she suffered, including severe bruising, broken bones, burns, and bite marks.

The prosecution described the treatment she endured as a “despicable campaign of abuse” over a prolonged period.

The case sparked outrage in both the UK and Pakistan, where Sharif and Batool fled after Sara’s death. They were extradited to the UK in September 2024 to face justice.

In delivering the sentence, the judge condemned their actions as “unimaginably cruel,” stating that Sara was “betrayed by those who should have cared for her most.”