A woman charged with the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif described the girl as an “innocent soul” in messages to her sister, indicating that she needed affection, as revealed during a court hearing. Beinash Batool, Sara’s stepmother, also testified that Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, had physically abused her for being “naughty,” according to jurors at the Old Bailey. These messages were sent via WhatsApp in 2022, just months before Sara was discovered deceased at their home in Woking on August 10, bearing numerous injuries.
Batool, 30, along with Sharif, 42, and Sara’s uncle Faisal Malik, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder. Previous testimonies described a pattern of abuse lasting over two years in which Sara was subjected to being hooded, burned, bitten, and beaten. The prosecution also noted that the reliability of Batool’s messages to her sisters was questionable since they only showcased selected details she wished to share.
During the proceedings, it was disclosed that Batool had shared images of Sara’s wounds with her sister Qandeela Saboohi but later deleted those messages. The retrieved images revealed various injuries on Sara’s body. In May 2021, Batool expressed her desire to report Urfan for severely beating Sara, stating that the girl was “covered in bruises” and unable to walk after fainting in the kitchen. She mentioned that Urfan made Sara perform sit-ups throughout the night.
In another message exchange from February 2022 with her sister Amima Shahid, Batool conveyed that Urfan was physically assaulting Sara at home and remarked that she would never forgive herself if anything happened to the child. On November 24, 2022, she communicated with Shahid about being overwhelmed with stress and mentioned a separation from Urfan.
The day before Sara’s body was found, Batool indicated that Urfan was going to Pakistan and had acted erratically by taking money and a passport. Just six months prior to this tragic event, when Shahid asked about Sara’s well-being, Batool reassured her by saying the child was fine but mentioned there were underlying mental health issues needing attention.
On August 11th—the day after Sara’s body was discovered—Sara’s aunt blocked Batool’s number. The court also viewed video evidence showing all three accused relatives at Heathrow Airport as they departed for Pakistan shortly before the discovery of Sara’s remains.
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