Sara Sharif's parents break silence in first video since child, 10, found dead
The on-the-run parents of a tragic 10-year-old girl found dead at her home have spoken for the first time since leaving the UK and say they are willing to co-operate with British authorities.
Sara Sharif's body was discovered at the property in Woking, Surrey, last month, and police says they want to speak to her father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, as well as his brother Faisal Shahzad Malik, 28.
The child was found dead after officers were called from Pakistan by her dad, Urfan Sharif, who is thought to have travelled to Islamabad on August 9 and police have been unable to contact them since. A post-mortem examination showed Sara had suffered multiple and extensive injuries, likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.
Sara Sharif, 10, was tragically found dead at her home near Woking on August 10 (PA)
Post-mortem tests found Sara sustained "multiple and extensive injuries" (SIMON JONES/THE SUN)Now in a new video released the morning in the first public contact since her death, Mr Sharif and Ms Batool read a statement rejecting claims the family has "gone into hiding" and dismissed suggestions the girl fell down the stairs. They say they are willing to "fight our case in court".
In low-quality footage, Ms Batool dedicates just two sentences on Sara, describing her death as an "incident". She said: "Firstly, I would like to talk about Sara. Sara's death was an incident. Our family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on. "Imran (another of Mr Sharif's brothers) did not give a statement that Sara fell down the stairs and broke her neck. This was spread through a Pakistani media outlet. I am very worried about Imran's safety."
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She went on: "All of our family members have gone into hiding as everyone is scared for their safety. The kids are unable to attend school as they're afraid to leave the house. No one is leaving the house.
Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif and stepmum Beinash Batool seen for first time after fleeing to Pakistan (Sky News)"The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety." An inquest into Sara's found her cause of death has "not yet been determined" as the search for her family continues.
Sara was previously known to authorities, according to Surrey County Council. Surrey Police said they had "limited and historic contact" with the child and her family.
It comes as Sara's mum has spoken of the grief she felt when she went to identify her daughter's body in the mortuary. Olga Sharif, speaking on Polish television programme Uwaga! on the TVN Channel, said: "One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised. Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like."
Ms Sharif said she had separated from her husband in 2015, and Sara and her older brother had been living with her until 2019 when the family court ruled they should live with their dad. She still had equal rights to see the children and said while that was easy to maintain initially it became increasingly harder over time.
In an earlier interview, Ms Sharif said that she was only allowed to see her children twice since she lost custody of them. The mum claimed that she used to be sent frequent photos of her children until 2021, when an argument between her and Mr Sharif's new partner allegedly led to her being cut off completely.
Surrey Police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of Sara's life. Surrey County Council has confirmed she was known to the local authority. An inquest opened last week at Woking Coroner's Court was told that although Sara's cause of death has not yet been determined, it was likely to have been "unnatural".
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