Sara Sharif’s father, Irfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal abuse and murder of the 10-year-old girl.

The court described the incident as horrific “torture” and “despicable” abuse that caused Sara “unimaginable pain, misery, and anxiety.”

Sara, who lived with her family in Woking, Surrey, endured repeated beatings, burns, bites, and restraints over years of abuse. The violence culminated in her death last August, after which her father and stepmother fled to Pakistan with her five siblings.

On Tuesday, the Old Bailey handed Irfan Sharif a minimum sentence of 40 years and Beinash Batool 33 years in prison for Sara’s murder. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing Sara’s death and received a 16-year prison sentence.

“Years of neglect and torture”

Mr. Justice Cavanagh, during the televised sentencing, described Sara’s death “was the culmination of years of neglect, frequent assaults and what can only be described as torture”. The judge noted that the “despicable treatment” happened in “plain sight and in front of the rest of the family".

Addressing Sharif, the judge remarked:

“You treated her in such a way because you considered it your right to impose harsh discipline on her. Sara was a brave, fiesty, and spirited child. She was not submissive as you wanted her to be. She stood up to you. I have no doubt that your ego and sense of self-importance was boosted by the power you wielded over her and the rest of the family.”

The court heard that Batool, rather than intervening, was prepared to “sacrifice” her stepdaughter. “Put bluntly, you did not care about Sara enough to save her.”

Mr. Justice Cavanagh dismissed as “preposterous” the claim that Faisal Malik was too occupied with his phone and earbuds to notice the ongoing abuse. He highlighted how Sara’s case “starkly demonstrated” the risks faced by vulnerable children in home-schooling environments and raised concerns about missed opportunities to prevent the tragedy.

Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, participated in the court proceedings via video link and shared her grief, describing Sara as “always smiling” and possessing her “own unique character.” In a victim impact statement, she expressed, “She is now an angel who looks down on us from heaven, she is no longer experiencing violence. To this day, I can’t understand how someone can be such a sadist to a child."

Addressing the defendants, Olga called them “sadists,” adding, “Even this word is not enough for you. I would say you are executioners.”

Libby Clark from the Crown Prosecution Service stated, “Sara Sharif was a lively and joyful 10-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short by the very people who should have protected and cared for her. Today’s sentences reflect the cruelty and gravity of their crimes, and while no sentence can bring Sara back, we hope this outcome is able to provide some small comfort to all those that knew and loved her.”

Sara’s lifeless body was discovered in her bunk bed at her Woking, Surrey home after her father, Irfan Sharif, called police from Pakistan to confess he had beaten her “too much.” The post-mortem revealed 71 fresh injuries, including 25 broken bones, burns from an iron, scalding marks on her feet, and human bite marks.

Court testimony revealed that Sharif had repeatedly assaulted Sara with a cricket bat and iron bar, throttled her, and thrown a mobile phone at her head. Sara endured regular bouts of violence, during which she was restrained with packaging tape, and her head was covered with a makeshift hood, causing her unimaginable pain. On the day of her death, even as Sara lay dying in Batool’s lap, Sharif returned home and struck her stomach, accusing her of “pretending.”

Beinash Batool reportedly confided in her sister that Sharif frequently “beat the crap” out of Sara. However, Batool not only failed to intervene but also called Sharif home from work to continue the punishments. The abuse began shortly after Sara moved in with her father and stepmother in 2019, where she was treated as a “skivvy” and made to feel “worthless,” according to Justice Cavanagh. He added, “This poor child was battered with great force again and again.”

By December 2022, when university student Faisal Malik moved in with the family, the violence had become so normalized that he failed to take action. Teachers had previously noticed bruises on Sara’s face and referred her case to social services in March 2023. However, the investigation was closed within days, and Sara was withdrawn from school the following month.

The tragedy culminated on August 8, 2023. Within hours of Sara’s death, Sharif and Batool fled to Pakistan with their five other children, leaving Sara’s body behind. The couple returned to the UK on September 13, 2023, and were arrested immediately upon landing at Gatwick Airport.

Justice Cavanagh noted that Sharif’s earlier allegations of abuse and arrests for controlling behaviour toward ex-girlfriends made it all the more alarming that he was granted custody of Sara in 2019. Meanwhile, efforts to bring Sara’s siblings back from their paternal grandfather’s home in Jhelum, Pakistan, are ongoing.