Father & Stepmother Found Guilty in Murder of 10-Year-Old Sarah Sharif
Sharif had retracted his earlier statements and confessed to the abuse of his daughter.
LONDON: A court in London has found Irfan Sharif, the father, and Benish Batool, the stepmother, guilty of the murder of 10-year-old Sarah Sharif. During a four-day hearing, it was revealed that Sharif had retracted his earlier statements and confessed to the abuse of his daughter.
In his testimony, Sharif admitted that his partner, Batool, had been subjecting Sarah to repeated beatings for weeks. He acknowledged that Sarah’s death resulted from the brutal violence inflicted by her stepmother, and he further stated, “It happened because of me.”
The court described the case as one of domestic violence, where child abuse was sadly seen as an acceptable norm within the family. The judge noted that Sarah had likely endured ongoing abuse for some time, with the innocent girl trapped in what could only be described as a “hellish” existence.
The jury found not only the father and stepmother guilty of murder but also Sarah’s uncle, Faisal Malik, who was found complicit in the crime. The court noted that Malik could have intervened to prevent the abuse but failed to do so. Additionally, the judge expressed regret that the three defendants fled to Pakistan following Sarah’s death, avoiding immediate accountability for their actions.
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The case has shocked the public, highlighting the extreme nature of the abuse Sarah suffered in her final days.
