06 September 2023 , 06:40
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Sara Sharif's mum has spoken of the grief she felt when she went to identify her daughter's body in the mortuary.
The 10-year-old was found dead at her home near Woking after police were called from Pakistan by her dad, Urfan Sharif, on August 10. A post-mortem examination found she had suffered "multiple and extensive injuries" over a "sustained and extended" period of time.
She was living with her dad and his partner Beinash Batool when she died. Speaking on Polish television programme Uwaga! on the TVN Channel, Olga Sharif said: "One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised. Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like."
Ms Sharif said she had separated from her husband in 2015, and Sara and her older brother had been living with her until 2019 when the family court ruled they should live with their dad. She still had equal rights to see the children and said while that was easy to maintain initially it became increasingly harder over time.
Sara Sharif, 10, was tragically found dead at her home near Woking on August 10 (PA)
A post-mortem examination found she had suffered "multiple and extensive injuries" (SIMON JONES/THE SUN)In an earlier interview, Ms Sharif said that she was only allowed to see her children twice since she lost custody of them. The mum claimed that she used to be sent frequent photos of her children until 2021, when an argument between her and Mr Sharif's new partner allegedly led to her being cut off completely.
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She told The Sun: "I couldn't see my daughter for four years, and now she is dead. She's only a kid, she had done nothing wrong." Mr Sharif, 41, Ms Batool, 29, and his brother, Faisal Malik, 28, are thought to have travelled to Islamabad on August 9. They left with five children aged between one and 13-years-old, Surrey Police said.
The interview came as Sara's stepmum - who is still wanted for questioning - spoke publicly for the first time since the little girl was found dead. Footage was sent to broadcasters including the BBC and Sky of Ms Batool speaking alongside Mr Sharif.
Sara's dad, Urfan Sharif (PA)
Urfan's partner, Beinash Batool (PA)In a clip of the footage posted online by Sky, Batool shows no emotion as she describes Sara's death as "an incident" and says that she and her partner are willing to co-operate with UK authorities over the case. She said: "Sara's death was an incident. Our family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on."
Ms Batool denied reports that one of Mr Sharif's brothers claimed Sara had fallen down the stairs and broken her neck. She added: "All of our family members have gone into hiding as everyone is scared for their safety. The kids are unable to attend school as they're afraid to leave the house.
"No-one is leaving the house, the groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear of safety (sic). That is why we have gone into hiding. Lastly we are willing to co-operate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court." It is not clear under what conditions the footage was filmed and Ms Batool's claims have not been verified.
Footage was sent to broadcasters including the BBC and Sky of Ms Batool speaking alongside Mr Sharif (Sky News)Surrey Police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of Sara's life. Surrey County Council has confirmed she was known to the local authority. An inquest opened last week at Woking Coroner's Court was told that although Sara's cause of death has not yet been determined, it was likely to have been "unnatural".
Giving his condolences to the family, Coroner Simon Wickens adjourned inquest proceedings until February 29 next year to allow police to to carry out investigations. Meanwhile, authorities in Pakistan are searching for the trio and lawyers in the UK have said the nation's government is unlikely to block an extradition request in connection to the death.
Renewing the appeal last month, Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: "We would like to thank those people who have already come forward and reported information to us. However, we know that there will be lots of people in the Woking community and beyond who will have had contact with Sara who may not already have come forward, and we would encourage them to do so.
Flowers being laid outside Sara's home (SWNS)"Any information is better than no information - although you might think it's insignificant, it might be vital to the investigation and in helping us to bring justice for Sara." A spokesperson for Surrey Police added: "We can confirm that we have been liaising with our international partners since 10 August, the day that Sara’s body was discovered.
"Our enquiries remain ongoing to locate the three people we would like to speak to in connection with Sara’s death and we are continuing to work with the Crown Prosecution Service and international agencies, including Interpol, the National Crime Agency and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as the Pakistani authorities."
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While there is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan, people have been returned from the Asian country before. The full interview with Ms Sharif will air on the Polish TV programme at 7.55pm local time on Wednesday.