Police today released two new pictures of 10-year-old Sara Sharif to try to build a picture of her life before the discovery of her body at her home.
Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 41, stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and Sharif’s brother Faisal Malik, 28, appeared via video link at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
They are charged with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child after a post-mortem revealed Sara suffered broken ribs, bruising, and a brain haemorrhage before her death.
Sharif, Batool and Malik left for Pakistan on August 9 before Sharif’s eldest daughter was discovered the following day at an address in Woking, Surrey.
Surrey police say the new photos present Sara in the way we believe she may have dressed in the months prior to her death.
Investigators hope the images will prompt more people to come forward with information about her and her family.
This school picture of Sara Sharif shows her beaming with happiness in the posed-up picture
The second picture of Sara shows her in a light blue outfit playing happily in a grassy park
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: ‘We have released these new images this week in the hope that it will prompt more people who knew Sara and her family to come forward.
‘We are grateful to everyone who has already contacted us, and I would like to stress that any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, is reviewed by the investigation team and further enquiries carried out if appropriate. I would urge anyone who may have information and hasn’t yet come forward to reach out to us.
‘There are a number of ways you can do this – you can report information via our portal, which is in both English and Urdu, you can call 101 if you would prefer to speak on the phone, or if you would like to remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers.’
Police dashed to Sara’s home after receiving a phone call from Pakistan at 2.47am on August 10, which lasted eight minutes and 34 seconds.
Officers found her body ‘fully clothed’ under a duvet in a bunk bed along with two handwritten notes ‘tucked under the pillows under the child’s head’.
Sara Sharif’s father, Urfan Sharif (left), 41, along with his partner (right) Belnash Batool, 29
Sara Sharif, ten, suffered broken ribs, bruising, and a brain haemorrhage before her death
Prosecutor Giles Bedloe said there was still ‘quite a significant amount of post-mortem examination on going’.
But initial tests have shown Sara suffered ‘multiple rib fractures front and back’, ‘multiple areas of bruising to her torso and limbs’, and ‘the presence of haemorrhage on her brain’.
She also had a ‘healed fracture’ on one collarbone and her hyoid bone – a u-shaped bone at the root of the tongue in the throat.
Batool, dressed in a black t-shirt, appeared from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey while Malik, in a red polo shirt, and Sharif, in grey tracksuits, are being held at HMP Belmarsh.
They will next appear for a plea and case management hearing on December 1 and a provisional trial date has been set for September 2 next year.
Since then officers have been engaging with community leaders and distributing leaflets in the Woking area.
Posters have also been displayed in and around Woking train station and taxi ranks around the town.
The appeal has been translated into written Urdu and verbally in video format to reach residents of the local area whose first language is Urdu.
Officers working for the Force who are fluent in Urdu are supporting the investigation team to translate information provided by members of the public.
While the appeal has generated a number of enquiries, officers are still keen to hear from anyone with any information, no matter how insignificant, which could help them to piece together a picture of Sara’s life.
To report information, please visit the police online portal > www.bit.ly/opunison
To report information in Urdu, please visit the translated online portal > www.bit.ly/opunisonurdu
To report information anonymously, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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