Police had ‘historic contact’ with the family of murdered 10-year-old girl Sara Sharif that ‘goes back some years,’ according to reports.
Sara was discovered dead by police at her family home on August 10, and police confirmed that three family members were believed to have fled to Pakistan the day before she was found.
Police were called by her father Urfan Sharif, 41, who is understood to have rushed to Islamabad with his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his 28-year-old brother Faisal Malik, before they could be questioned in the UK. An international manhunt has been launched for the three adults, but the UK has no formal extradition treaty with Pakistan.
Now it has emerged Surrey Police had previous contact with the family.
Det Supt Chapman told the BBC: ‘Surrey Police’s contact with the family has been on a limited basis. It’s been on a historic basis. And that goes back some time.’
He said police interaction with the schoolgirl’s family ‘goes back some years’ but declined to expand on his comment. MailOnline has contacted Surrey Police for further comment.
An uncle of ten-year-old Sara Sharif (pictured) who was tragically found dead in a house in Woking has reportedly told police she ‘fell down the stairs and broke her neck’
Urfan Sharif (left) fled the UK with his partner Beinash Batool (centre), brother Faisal Malik (right). They are wanted for questioning over Sara’s murder
It comes after Surrey Council revealed Sara was known to them before her death.
A spokeswoman previously told MailOnline: ‘We can confirm Sara Sharif was known to Surrey County Council but we cannot comment further while the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership’s thorough review process is ongoing.’
Surrey County Council has said they are ‘working tirelessly’ to fully understand the consequences that led to Sara’s death while police have not referred themselves to the IOPC, saying their knowledge of the family was ‘historic’ and that the case did not meet the threshold to do so.
Last night it was reported that an uncle of the ten-year-old girl had told police she ‘fell down the stairs and broke her neck’ after being detained in Pakistan.
Her uncle Imran Sharif has not been charged but is said to be assisting the hunt for his brother, Sara’s father, after it was reported police in Pakistan are under ‘tremendous pressure’ from the British High Commission to find him.
Imran Sharif claims Sara had an accident at home, according to Sky News.
He allegedly told officers: ‘Beinash was home with the children. Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck. Beinash panicked and phoned Urfan.
Urfan Sharif (left) and Beinash Batool (right) are wanted for murder, leading to an international manhunt
Police were called by her father Urfan Sharif, 41, who is understood to have rushed to Islamabad
Surrey Police said a post-mortem revealed that Sara ‘suffered multiple and extensive injuries’, which they said were ‘likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time’.
Her exact cause of death remains unknown and further tests are being carried out.
Imran Sharif denied knowing where Urfan and his family were, Jhelum police said.
He reportedly told officers: ‘I found out what happened to Sara through the international media. My parents told me Urfan briefly came home very upset. He kept saying ‘they’ are going to take his children away from him.’
Police said they have detained Mr Sharif’s brother because they are ‘convinced’ that he knows where the family is hiding.
It has also been claimed that Mr Sharif’s parents along with other relatives, who live in a large house in the city of Jhelum in Pakistan’s Punjab province, have also now gone into hiding.
Beinash Batool’s family home in Mirpur has also been searched, but with no sign of the family.
A police source said: ‘We spoke to Imran and some of the family members last week and they insisted that they did not know where Urfan and his family are.
‘But we don’t believe them, there’s absolutely no way that they can’t know where eight of their relatives who have come from England are. They are telling us a pack of lies.’
They added: ‘We managed to get hold of Imran, but the rest of his family have gone missing. They clearly have something to hide. We have got hold of one of them and will be interrogating him until he tells us the truth.’
Separately, Sara’s mother, Polish woman Olga Sharif, 36, who was married to Mr Sharif between 2009 to 2017, urged her ex-husband to ‘come forward and explain himself.’
Heartbroken Ms Sharif praised her daughter as ‘an amazing child,’ adding: ‘She was so beautiful. I can’t believe she’s dead.’
Separately, Sara’s mother, Polish woman Olga Sharif, 36, who was married to Mr Sharif between 2009 to 2017, urged her ex-husband to ‘come forward and explain himself.’
Heartbroken Ms Sharif praised her daughter as ‘an amazing child,’ adding: ‘She was so beautiful. I can’t believe she’s dead.’
Sara’s mother, Polish woman Olga Sharif, 36, pictured left, who was married to Mr Sharif between 2009 to 2017, urged her ex-husband to ‘come forward and explain himself’
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: ‘We now know that Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and extended period which has significantly changed the nature of our investigation, and we have widened the timescale of the focus of our enquiry.
‘As a result, we are trying to piece together a picture of Sara’s lifestyle but we cannot do this without the public’s help.
‘That is why we are appealing for anyone who knew Sara, had any form of contact with her, or has any other information about her, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to come forward as soon as possible.’
On Friday council leader Tim Oliver said: ‘This is an incredibly sad situation and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with everyone affected.’
He said the national Child Safeguarding panel has been notified of the death and a multi-agency rapid review is under way, in line with standard process following the death of a child.
He explained: ‘This rapid review will determine whether a local child safeguarding practice review (LCSPR) is to be undertaken by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership.
‘An LCSPR is a statutory process, bringing together partners including the police, health, social care and education to review practice of all agencies involved, organisational structures and learning.’
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