October 23rd 2024.
Last year, a tragic event took place in Woking, Surrey. Sara, a 10-year-old girl, was found dead in her bunkbed at her home. It was a heartbreaking discovery for the community. As the details of the case were revealed, it became clear that Sara had suffered over 70 injuries in a matter of weeks before her untimely death.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, a neighbour of Sara's, Rebecca Spencer, shared her experience living near the Sharif family. She recalled the constant screaming and crying coming from their flat, which often reached a "fever pitch". Rebecca even remembered one instance where she had gone to their door after being disturbed by the noise, only to have it slammed in her face by Sara's stepmother, Beinash Batool.
Rebecca described the family's living situation, with Sara's father working as a taxi driver and Batool often staying at home. The prosecutor asked her about what she could see or hear from their flat, to which she responded with tales of crying, doors slamming, and Batool screaming at Sara. She also mentioned hearing a "thwack" sound and the telling off of children.
Rebecca explained how the noise was a constant presence in her life, especially during the end of the school day and the summer holidays. She even recalled a time when she hosted a party in the communal garden and had a pleasant conversation with Sara, who seemed "lovely" and spent most of her time talking to Rebecca instead of playing with the other children.
Despite the disturbances, Rebecca never made a formal report about the family downstairs. However, in September 2020, the police received a call from Sara's father in Pakistan, confessing to "beating her up too much" for being "naughty". When the police arrived at the family's home, they found Sara's lifeless body in her bunkbed. It was a devastating discovery, and it was revealed that the defendants had booked flights out of the country just hours after her death.
The court also heard from a forensic pathologist, Dr Nathaniel Cary, who detailed Sara's injuries. It was evident that she had suffered repetitive blunt trauma and significant internal damage, including bleeding on her brain, bruises on her lungs, and multiple skeletal injuries. The prosecution also mentioned probable human bite marks, a burn from a domestic iron, and scalding from hot water. Traces of Sara's blood were also found in various places in the family's home, along with "homemade hoods" used to restrain her.
The three defendants, Sara's father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool, and uncle Faisal Malik, all denied the charges of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. The trial continues, and the community mourns the loss of a young life.
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