Sara Sharif’s Father, Stepmother & Uncle charged with Murder

The father, stepmother and uncle of Sara Sharif have been charged with the 10-year-old’s murder.

Urfan Sharif, his partner Beinash Batool, and Urfan’s brother Faisal Malik, all of Woking, have been charged.

They have also each been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trio travelled to Pakistan on August 9, 2023, along with five children aged between one and 13 years old.

Sara Sharif’s body was found at a home in Woking a day later at around 2:50 am after officers received a call from her father in Pakistan.

Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police major crime team, said at the time:

“While the post-mortem has not provided us with an established cause of death at this time, the fact that we now know that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period has significantly changed the nature of our investigation, and we have widened the timescale of the focus of our inquiry.”

While in Pakistan, Ms Batool posted a video, stating that she and her partner are willing to cooperate with the UK authorities.

Throughout the video, Ms Batool accused the Pakistan police of harassing her extended family, illegally detaining them and raiding their homes.

She also claimed that the reason the family are in hiding is because they fear they will be tortured and killed by the police.

The trio were arrested at Gatwick Airport on the evening of September 13, 2023, after getting off a flight from Dubai.

DS Chapman confirmed their arrest and emphasised the ongoing investigation’s complexity and the support provided to Sara’s biological mother. He said:

“This evening, around 7.45 pm, three people were arrested in connection with this investigation at Gatwick Airport.

“Two men, aged 41 years and 28 years, and a woman, aged 29 years, were arrested on suspicion of murder after disembarking a flight from Dubai.

“They are currently in custody and will be interviewed in due course.

“Sara’s mother has been informed of this latest update and is being supported by specialist officers.

“Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Sara’s death at this very difficult time.”

“This has been an extremely fast-moving, challenging and complex enquiry and we remain absolutely committed to conducting a thorough investigation into Sara’s death.”

After being charged, the trio were remanded in custody and will appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on September 15, 2023.

Sara’s five siblings, who travelled to Pakistan with the murder suspects, were found at the home of Mr Sharif’s father in the country on September 11.

They have since been moved to a government childcare facility in Pakistan.

Surrey Police said Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, had been informed of the latest developments and is being supported by specialist officers.