Murdered ten-year-old Sara Sharif ‘was seen in school with cuts and bruises to her face months before she was found dead at family home in Woking’, neighbour claims
- Sara Sharif was found dead by police after her father called them from Pakistan
- Her heartbroken mother earlier rubbished claims her death was an ‘accident’
Sara Sharif, a ten-year-old girl who was discovered dead by police in her home in Woking after her father, his partner and his brother fled the UK, was seen in school with ‘cuts and bruises to her face and neck’, it was reported last night.
A neighbour of the family from when they lived in Byfleet claimed Sara was spotted with the injuries the day before her family withdrew her from school to be homeschooled, the BBC reports.
The family moved shortly afterwards to the property where Sara’s body was discovered with ‘multiple and extensive injuries’, which were so severe a post-mortem examination has been unable to confirm how she died.
Police in Surrey were phoned from Pakistan and alerted to Sara’s plight by her own father, Urfan Sharif, who ran from the scene, taking five children between the ages of one and thirteen with him.
His partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his 28-year-old brother Faisal Mali accompanied the 41-year-old, and the whole family has since disappeared as Pakistan police work to try and trace them.
Sara Sharif, 10, was reportedly seen with ‘cuts and bruises to her face and neck’ the day before being withdrawn from school
Sara was known to both Surrey Police and Surrey Council before her death
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
The neighbour, Jessica, told the BBC: ‘Just before the Easter holidays she was in school and had cuts and bruises on her face and her neck.
‘My daughter had asked what had happened and she said she’d fallen off a bike and then kind of walked away.
‘The next day the teacher announced she had left school and she was being home-schooled.’
It was revealed this week that Sara’s uncle Imran Sharif, who has not been arrested or charged, told police in Pakistan that his niece fell down the stairs during an ‘accident’.
He reportedly told officers: ‘I found out what happened to Sara through the international media.
‘Beinash was home with the children. Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck. Beinash panicked and phoned Urfan.
‘My parents told me Urfan briefly came home very upset. He kept saying ‘they’ are going to take his children away from him.’
Imran Sharif denied knowing where Urfan and his family were, Jhelum police said.
Today Sara’s heartbroken mother Olga Sharif, 36, reacted angrily to Imran’s claim.
She told the Sun: ‘He could have just made that claim to protect his brother and try to stop questions being asked. I don’t think he is being honest.
‘The only person I want answers from is Urfan. He has to be questioned about what’s happened to my daughter.’
Police were called by Sara’s father, 41, who is understood to have rushed to Islamabad
Sara’s mother Olga Sharif, 36, has rubbished ‘baseless’ claims her daughter fell down the stairs and broke her neck
Sara pictured playing in a garden – her body was tragically found at the family home
She is hoping to bury Sara in her native Poland. Her comments came as Sara’s heartbroken uncle told MailOnline he was desperate for police to ‘catch the scumbag that killed my niece.’
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE Polish uncle of murdered schoolgirl Sara Sharif, 10, urges police to ‘catch the scumbag who killed my niece’ – as international manhunt continues
He claimed Sharif was a gambler and prone to violence – with police often called to the family home in Woking, Surrey, when Sara lived their with Olga.
Sara’s uncle also said that former taxi driver Sharif chillingly once told Olga during a custody battle after they divorced to ‘stop complaining or she would be found dead somewhere’.
It has been claimed Mr Sharif’s parents and 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 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.’
It was previously revealed that Sara was known to both police and Surrey council.
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.
Sara’s Polish uncle shared new pictures of her with MailOnline as he appealed to police to find the ‘scumbag’ responsible for her death
‘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.’
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.
Surrey County Council has said they are ‘working tirelessly’ to fully understand the consequences that led to Sara’s death – and have now revealed the girl was known to them before her death.
A spokeswoman 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.’
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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