Sara Sharif: Heartbreaking timeline of abuse that left girl, 10, dead in abandoned house

DISTRESSING CONTENT WARNING Sara Sharif's father and stepmother were found guilty of her murder following a trial at the Old Bailey in London today following an eight week trial

Sara Sharif's father and stepmother have been found guilty of the murder of the 10-year-old girl, with questions now arising over missed opportunities to interrupt a timeline of abuse stretching back a decade.

Urfan Sharif, 43, and his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted following an eight-week trial at the Old Bailey during which jurors were told of the "daily living hell" the youngster was put through as she was tortured to death over several months. Sara Sharif suffered years of abuse after her father was handed custody by the family court despite accusations of domestic violence, the court heard.

They were on trial alongside Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, who was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, after she was found dead in a bunk bed at the family's home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10, 2023. A post mortem conducted after her death found she had 71 external injuries, including bruises, burns and human bite marks.

The post mortem also uncovered at least 25 fractures, including 11 to her spine, and prosecutors said she had suffered abuse at the hands of her parents for years before her death. For several years she was “brutally mistreated, abused and violently assaulted”, and the longevity of the violence she suffered is brutally clear on a court-provided timeline.

The following timeline details the moment Sara's parents met to today's guilty verdict:

– 2009 – Sharif meets his Polish girlfriend Olga online and they get married eight or nine months later. He also becomes a part-time taxi driver.

– 2011 – Sharif begins driving a taxi full-time.

– 2013 – The couple’s daughter, Sara, is born.

– 2014 – Olga and Sharif have an acrimonious break-up.

Sharif alleges that his former wife had “bitten” another child and “abused” Sara during and after their marriage.

– 2014 – Sara goes into foster care. Sharif meets Batool in the autumn of that year.

– January 2015 – Sara is returned to Sharif’s care, subject to Olga leaving the house.

– May 2015 – Batool moves in to live with Sharif, in Woking.

Olga makes allegations against Sharif about domestic abuse and child abuse.

Sara is placed back into Olga’s care.

– 2015 to 2017 – Sharif is permitted supervised contact with Sara.

– 2016 – Sharif says Batool hit him with a wooden lemon squeezer after he wanted to leave.

– 2017 – Sharif and Olga’s divorce is finalised.

– Sharif and Batool get married.

– 2019 – Sara makes allegations of abuse against Olga.

– 2019 – The family court awards Sharif custody of Sara.

– May 2021 – Batool sends a WhatsApp message to her sister saying Sharif “beat the crap out of Sara” and she wants to report him, but does not.

– Summer 2022 – Batool confides to her sister that Sharif “beat Sara up” and cannot send her back to school “looking like that”.

– June 6 2022 – A member of staff at Sara’s school notices she has a bruise under her eye.

– June 13 2022 – Sharif discusses a wish to home school Sara with staff, although she does go back.

– December 17 2022 – Sharif’s brother Faisal Malik arrives in the UK from Pakistan and moves in with the family.

– January 2023 – Sara starts wearing a hijab to school, which the prosecution allege is to hide her bruises. Malik starts a course in international business and management at Portsmouth University.

– March 8 2023 – Malik starts working at McDonald’s in Woking.

– March 10 2023 – A member of staff at Sara’s school notices a bruise on her chin and dark bruise under her right eye. A referral is made to social services.

– March 16 2013 – A decision is made by social services to take no further action on the referral.

– April 17 2023 – Sara is taken out of school. The same month, the family move into a new house in Hammond Road, Woking.

– August 8 2023 – Following a period of escalating violence, Batool calls Sharif home. He believes Sara is just pretending and whacks her with a metal pole in the stomach as she is dying. Within hours Sharif and Batool are booking flights to Pakistan.

– August 9 2023 – Sharif, Batool and Malik travel to Islamabad from Heathrow Airport.

– August 10 2023 – Sara is found dead in a bunk bed at home after Sharif called police from Pakistan to say he had beaten her “too much”. A confession note is found on a pillow next to the body.

– August 15 – A post-mortem examination identifies dozens of injuries including 25 fractures, a broken hyoid bone, human bite marks, iron burns to the bottom and scalding water burns to her feet with signs of restraint.

– September 6 2023 – Sharif and Batool appear on television and Batool says Sara died in an “incident”.

– September 13 2023 – Sharif, Batool and Malik are detained on a plane at Gatwick Airport after travelling back to the UK from Pakistan.

– September 15 2023 – The defendants are charged with murder and causing or allowing Sara’s death. They deny the accusations against them.

– October 14 2024 – The three defendants go on trial at the Old Bailey.

– November 13 2024 – Sharif dramatically admits responsibility for Sara’s death after previously accusing his “evil and psycho” wife Batool.

– December 11 2024 – Sharif and Batool are found guilty of murder and Malik is convicted of causing or allowing Sara’s death.