In the ongoing trial at London’s Old Bailey regarding the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, new revelations suggest that the girl fabricated “conflicting tales” to explain the injuries she sustained. Prosecutors have indicated that Sara wore a hijab to conceal injuries to her head and face, beginning in January 2023, months before her body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey.
Sara was found dead in August 2023 after allegedly enduring a campaign of “serious and repeated violence.” A post-mortem examination revealed that she suffered numerous injuries, including “probable human bite marks,” an iron burn, and scalding from hot water.
Her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, his wife and Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, are on trial for her murder. They face alternative charges of causing or allowing the death of a child, all of which they deny while placing blame on one another.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones informed the jury that Sara’s hijab was a sign of her attempts to hide her facial injuries. He noted that her injuries were observed at school on two occasions, in June 2022 and March 2023, during which she provided various conflicting explanations about how she sustained them. When questioned by teachers, she used her headscarf to conceal her face. Sara was later withdrawn from school in April 2023 to be home-schooled.
Witnesses, including neighbors, reported hearing “shockingly loud” sounds of hitting accompanied by screams from the young girl.
Urfan Sharif has recently admitted to beating Sara, stating, “I beat her up. It wasn’t my intention to kill her, but I beat her up too much.” A note in his handwriting found near her body read, “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
Prosecutor Jones argued that all three defendants played a role in the violence and mistreatment leading to Sara’s death. While Urfan blames Batool for the violence, Batool claims she was afraid of him and that he was a “violent disciplinarian.” Malik contends he was unaware of any abuse.
The trial is set to continue until December.
