The heartbreaking murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif shocked the world and led to an international outcry after her father, Urfan Sharif, admitted to beating her to death.
But Sara’s tragic story doesn’t end there.
After being convicted, Urfan Sharif faced brutal retaliation behind bars, where fellow inmates took justice into their own hands.
A Tragic Story Comes to Light
On August 8, 2023, the world learned of the horrifying death of Sara Sharif, a bright, loving girl from Woking, Surrey, in the UK. According to the BBC, Sara had been “hooded, burned, and beaten” during what was described in court as a two-year-long campaign of torture.
Police discovered her body in a bunkbed at her family’s home, along with a handwritten note. The letter, confirmed to be written by her father, read:
“Whoever sees this note, it’s me, Urfan Sharif, who killed my daughter by beating. I am running away because I am scared.”
He added, “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
A Global Manhunt and Justice
The day before Sara’s body was found, Urfan Sharif fled the country to Pakistan with his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik. After an international search, all three were arrested and extradited.
The abuse Sara endured was horrifying. She had over 70 injuries, including multiple spinal fractures, a traumatic brain injury, a burn mark from a household iron, and human bite marks. During court proceedings, Sharif eventually admitted, “She died because of me.”
In December 2024:
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Urfan Sharif, 42, was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 40 years.
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Beinash Batool, 30, received a life sentence with a minimum of 33 years.
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Faisal Malik, 29, was sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing the death of a child.
During sentencing, the judge called the abuse “a campaign of torture” and said the level of cruelty was “almost inconceivable.”
A Mother’s Heartbreak
Sara’s birth mother, Olga Domin, called the three defendants “sadists,” stating, “Even that word doesn’t fully capture what you are. You are executioners.” She added, *“My daughter is now an angel watching over us. She’s no longer suffering.”
Prison Justice
Once behind bars at HMP Belmarsh—often dubbed “Britain’s Guantanamo Bay”—Sharif was targeted by other inmates. In prisons around the world, crimes against children are considered especially repugnant, even among the incarcerated.
A source told The Sun that Sharif tried to keep a low profile, but it didn’t work. “Word quickly got around who he was,” they said. “Even among violent offenders, crimes against children are despised.”
On New Year’s Day, just weeks into his life sentence, Sharif was attacked in his cell by two inmates armed with a makeshift weapon—a jagged lid from a can of tuna. He was slashed across the face and neck and reportedly remains in poor condition.
“He’s lucky to be alive,” a prison insider said. “The guards tried to protect him, but after a case that made such headlines, he was a marked man.”
One of the alleged attackers is believed to be Steve Sansom, a convicted double murderer serving a life sentence for a gruesome 2024 killing.