The dark and chilling murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif sent shockwaves globally, sparking widespread outrage against her father Ufran Sharif, who confessed to brutally killing his young daughter.
But the story doesn’t end with the “campaign of torture” leading to Sara’s death. The details of the tragedy are incredibly disturbing.
Behind bars, “word quickly got round about who [Ufran] was,” and the “sadistic” child killer was ambushed by fellow inmates, taking justice into their own hands.
On August 8, 2023, the world was left heartbroken when the story of Sara Sharif, a bright and loving 10-year-old girl, unfolded in the headlines.
The young girl “was hooded, burned and beaten during a ‘campaign of torture’ that lasted two years before her body was found at the family home in Woking, Surrey,” according to BBC.
When police arrived at the home, they found Sara in a bunkbed along with a confession letter – confirmed to be in her father’s handwriting – which read: “Whoever see this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating. I am running away because I am scared.”
Before explaining that he would “be back before the postmortem,” he shared “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
Equally shocking is that Sara’s father and two other family members fled to Pakistan the day before her body was found.
Following a weekslong international manhunt for those responsible in her horrific killing, Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, her dad, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were charged.
‘She died because of me’
Courts heard that Sara had more than 70 injuries, including injuries to her ribs, shoulder blades, fingers and 11 fractures to her spine, a puncture wound to the head, a traumatic brain injury, a burn on her buttock caused by a domestic iron, and human bite marks.
Since the arrest, the trio denied any involvement, but in court, Urfan changed his narrative and admitted that “she died because of me.”
On December 17, 2024, Sharif received a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years, and Batool was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 33 years. During sentencing, Mr. Justice Cavanagh described their actions as “a campaign of torture” marked by ” the degree of cruelty involved is almost inconceivable.” Malik was sentenced to 16 years in prison for causing or allowing the death of a child.
Sara’s birth mother, Olga Domin, issued a statement that was read in court.
Calling the three suspects “sadists,” she said “Although even this word is not enough for you. I would say you are executioners.”
Next, she addressed her daughter and said: “She is now an angel who looks down on us from heaven. She is no longer experiencing violence.”
The inmate code
Upon entering prison, Sharif faced the harrowing reality of life among hardened criminals. Often it is understood that murderers and convicts live under a peculiar code, one that despises crimes against children.
Urfan’s reputation as a child murderer sealed his fate and stories of his crime circulated within the prison walls, branding him a marked man.
Speaking with the Sun, a source explained that since arriving at South London’s HMP Belmarsh, known as Britain’s Guantanamo Bay, “Sharif has tried to keep his head down.”
“But word quickly got round about who he was…Inmates were not happy he is in there with them and, although the other prisoners are in for heinous crimes, a lot of them don’t like people who attack children.”
And on New Year’s Day, only weeks into his life sentence, two prisoners who “were sickened by his abuse of Sara,” ambushed Ufran with a jagged tuna can lid.
“Urfan was sliced up badly in his cell by two others who rushed in. It was planned and they used a makeshift weapon – made from the lid of a tin of tuna. He was sliced in the neck and face and is still in healthcare and in a very bad way,” an insider told the publication of the child killer, who survived the strike.
“He was lucky to survive, has had to have stitches and will have scars as a permanent reminder of the attack. The guards tried to keep him safe because he obviously had a target on his back after the case was such big news.”
The source added, “Something like this was always on the cards, and an attack was probably only a matter of time…A lot of them are saying how it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy.”
Recent reports allege that one of Ufran’s attackers is inmate Steve Sansom, who’s serving a life sentence for murdering and dismembering Sarah Mayhew, 38, in 2024. In 1999, Sansom was also convicted for the murder of cab driver Terrence Boyle, 59.