Sara Sharif's father, stepmother found guilty of her murder

LONDON: In a major development in the 10-year-old Sara Sharif murder case, the jurors found all three accused including her father, stepmother, and uncle guilty on Wednesday.

The jury of nine women and three men declared the father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinsh Batool guilty of their daughter’s murder while Uncle Faisal Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing the murder of his niece.

High Court Judge Justice Cavanagh said the sentences for all three culprits will be announced on Tuesday next week. The judge called the case “very stressful and traumatic”.

The 41-year-old Urfan Sharif, 29-year-old Beinsh Batool, and 28-year-old uncle of Sara Sharif had been indicted following their return to the UK from Pakistan.

The three accused were arrested upon their arrival in London. All were charged with her murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

However, the trio initially denied the murder accusations against them but during the cross-examination, they accepted the responsibility for the child’s death. The court indicted them with charges of causing or allowing the death of Sara Sharif.

The case

Sara Sharif was a 10-year-old British national. Her lifeless body was discovered at her family residence in Woking, Surrey on August 10, 2023.

The police authorities discovered her body a day after her father Urfan Sharif escaped to Pakistan along with his partner Benish Batool, and brother Faisal Malik.

The British daily The Independent also reported that the three individuals booked one-way flights out of the country before her body was discovered.

Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, said she married Urfan in November 2009, but the marriage ended in 2017.

Her ex-husband was awarded full custody of both Sara and her 13-year-old brother in 2019. Since then, Ms Sharif claims she has only been allowed to see her children twice.