The body of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl, whose death led to an international manhunt, was discovered with burn marks believed to have been caused by an iron, according to a prosecutor in a London court on Monday.
Sara Sharif was found lifeless in her bed at her family home in Woking, southern England, on August 10, 2023. This tragic event sparked a coordinated effort between Interpol, Britain's foreign ministry, and authorities in Pakistan to locate those responsible.
The day prior to Sara's body being found, her father, 42-year-old taxi driver Urfan Sharif, his step-mother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, along with Sharif's five other children, departed the UK for Pakistan. All three adults are currently on trial for her murder.
A post-mortem examination revealed 'signs of traumatic head injury', apparent scald burns on the inside of her ankles, and bite marks — five on her left lower arm and one on her inner thigh — which were 'probably human'. Notably, Sara's stepmother Batool has declined to provide a dental impression for comparison with the bite marks, the prosecutor stated.
Additional injuries included those to Sara's ribs, shoulder blades, fingers, and 11 separate fractures to the spine. The jury was presented with a recording of a 'calm' phone call on the evening of August 8, 2023, where Batool inquires about booking flights to Islamabad.
Sara's body was found in the family's vacant house following an emergency call, purportedly from Pakistan, where a man identifying himself as the father alerted the authorities. A note from her father, found beside her body, seemed to contain a confession, the prosecutor informed the jurors.
'Love you Sara,' read the note, which was shown to the jury. A second page added: 'Whoever sees this note, it's me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating. I am fleeing because I am scared, but I promise that I will turn myself in and accept punishment.' Another page stated: 'I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her, but I lost control.' A handwriting expert who examined the note concluded it was written by Urfan Sharif.
The three defendants — arrested in September last year after disembarking from a flight from Dubai — all deny murder and the causing or allowing the death of a child.
