Court sentences father, stepmother to life for murder of 10-year-old

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

The verdict was delivered on Tuesday at London’s Old Bailey court, where Judge ordered Sharif to serve a minimum of 40 years in prison 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 extensive abuse Sara suffered, including severe bruising, broken bones, burns, and bite marks, which ultimately led to her tragic death.

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.”