Girl, 10, wore a hijab to hide injuries, court was told

A 10-year-old girl who allegedly died at the hands of her father, stepmother and uncle wore a hijab to hide facial injuries she suffered in the lead-up to her death, a court has heard.

Sara Sharif started wearing the religious headscarf in January 2023 – seven months before her body was found at her family’s home in Woking, Surrey, jurors were told.

A neighbor found it ‘unusual’ that Sara was the only member of her extended family living at the address and wearing a hijab, the Old Bailey heard.

Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, have denied murder.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said the hijab was “indicative of the need to conceal injuries to her face and head from the outside world”.

Sara’s primary school teacher noticed a bruise under her left eye in June 2022, a bruise on her chin and a dark spot on her right eye in March 2023, the court heard.

She told several conflicting stories about how she suffered the injuries and used her hijab to hide her face when questioned by teachers, Mr Emlyn Jones KC said.

In April 2023, she was withdrawn to be homeschooled.

Mr Emlyn Jones KC also gave stories from neighbors who lived near the Sharif’s, including one from a woman who lived near the family’s previous address in West Byfleet.

The woman said she heard “shockingly loud” sounds of hitting and “heartbreaking cries” from young female children.

Another previous neighbor said they heard banging and rattling noises, often accompanied by the sounds of a child crying or screaming, the court heard.

She said it was like someone was banging on a door trying to open it, or alerting someone that they were behind a door, Mr Emlyn Jones KC added.

The court previously heard that Mr Sharif, Ms Batool and Mr Malik traveled with Sara’s five siblings to Islamabad, Pakistan on August 9, 2023, the day before her body was found.

Prosecutors said that Mr. Sharif called the police from Pakistan and admitted to killing Sara about an hour after his family’s flight landed in Islamabad.

Jurors were told that Mr Sharif was in the case that Ms Batool was responsible for Sara’s death. He made a false confession during the phone call and also in a note to protect his wife.

Sara suffered 11 fractures to her spine, burns to her buttocks caused by an iron, six “probable human bite wounds” and signs of traumatic brain injury, the court also heard.

The three defendants, who lived with Sara before her death, are also accused of causing or allowing the death of a child, which they deny.