Heartbroken mourners honour murdered angel Sara Sharif, 10, at emotional vigil outside home - as new questions raised over social workers
Hundreds attended a vigil tonight in memory of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif in her home town.
Hundreds attended a vigil tonight in memory of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif in her home town.
The very moving tribute took place in Woking, Surrey outside Saras home where her body was discovered in a bunk bed.
Will Forster, the Liberal Democrat MP for the town said many were heartbroken by her loss.
Mourners laid candles, balloons, flowers and photos of Sara in the front of the house where she was subjected to a brutal ordeal.
The gathering on Hammond Road by resident Arqi Iqra, told Surrey Live the case was absolutely heart wrenching and felt helpless during the trial.
It comes as Saras grandfather vowed to fight to keep her siblings in Pakistan, calling it the safest place for them.
Muhammad Sharif, paternal grandfather of the murdered 10-year-old, said he will appeal to the High Court in Pakistan to stop Saras five siblings from being returned to the UK, the Sunday Times reported.
He said: The legal proceedings concerning the custody of the children are ongoing in the Lahore High Court.
Mourners lay candles, flowers and photos of Sharif in honour of the murdered schoolgirl outside her former home on Hammond Road in Woking, Surrey on Sunday night
Balloons placed on the driveway of the home where Sara was found to have been repeatedly abused
Hundreds gathered outside Saras former home in a very moving tribute for the 10-year-old
The gathering was organised by a local resident who said she felt helpless during the trial
Sara Sharif, 10, endured brutal treatment at the hands of her father Urfan and stepmother
They are enrolled in a reputable school, and we ensure their safety by personally transporting them to and from school.
I am their guardian and this is the safest place for them to live in, they have an association with me and they are not willing to leave me. We will win the case.
The 69-year-olds son Urfan and Batool were convicted of the Saras murder at the Old Bailey last week.
Faisal Malik was found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
Urfan Sharif, 43 and Beinash Batool, 30, won custody of Sara at a family court hearing in Guildford in 2019.
The Telegraph reported that the decision was made based on a report provided to the court written by an inexperienced social worker who had been in the job just nine months.
The unnamed workers report, noted that both Sara and her sibling did appear to have suffered significant physical abuse at the hands of their mother Olga Dolmin, but failed to provide any analysis of the harm posed by the father to his daughter.
They wrote that Ms Dolmin, 38, pinched, punched and threatened her daughter with lighters and being drowned in the bath.
But they concluded that they did not have any concerns for the children continuing to live with their father, adding that the siblings had reported being happy and feeling safe.
The report said Sharif and Batool were able to provide the girls with safety, stability, emotional warmth and guidance, and recommended that they only have fortnightly contact with their mother.
Sara had at least 71 injuries and bruises when she was discovered dead in the family home on August 10.
Urfan Sharif, 42, was found guilty of murdering his daughter last week. He is due to be sentenced on Tuesday
Saras stepmother Beinash Batool, 30 (left) was found guilty of murdering Sara at the Old Bailey last week. Faisal Mallik (right) was found guilty of causing or allowing her death
Saras grandfather Muhammad Sharif vowed to continue the fight to stop her siblings from returning to the UK
Sara Sharif died aged ten at the family home in Woking, Surrey, on August 8 last year
It was here, behind the door of Number 10, that Sara Sharif endured torment beyond belief at the hands of her own family members
Sara was taken out of school in June 2022 to be homeschooled. Concerned teachers alerted social services when they saw her with bruises across her face
At the now abandoned terrace where the unthinkable crimes were committed, the grass is left overgrown, with the only trace of what happened a plastic childrens slide and mini chairs and table in the garden.
Sara was taken out of St Marys School in June 2022 to be home-schooled, a move which concerned teachers, but returned the following September for the new academic year.
Worried teachers eventually alerted Social Services after seeing multiple bruises across her face, but a six-day investigation found no grounds for further action.
Her five siblings were made wards of court by Mr Justice Hayden, meaning they needed to be returned to the country, because such children cannot be removed from England and Wales without approval.
Muhammad Sharif claimed he had been speaking to his son - the convicted Urfan Sharif - every day before Sara was murdered and that they had been planning to visit his Jhelum home where he lives with family members.
He told the court in October that two of the female children have special needs, while another suffers from severe asthma and the youngest was still being bottle fed.
Surrey County Council has applied to the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, to begin efforts to bring the children back to the UK. It remains unclear whether the court will authorise their return and, if so, when this will happen.
A spokesperson for the council said: We are continuing to work our way through this highly complex situation, sensitively and carefully, working closely with all of the agencies concerned.
Our overriding priority remains the wellbeing of the children and we request that their privacy is respected.
Sara pictured at school. Despite concerns from teachers, a six-day investigation found no grounds for further action
Rachael Wardell, executive director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at Surrey County Council, said: Saras death is incredibly distressing and we share in the profound horror at the terrible details that have emerged during the trial.
We cannot begin to comprehend the suffering that poor Sara endured at the hands of members of her family who should have loved, protected, and cared for her.
What is clear from the evidence weve heard in court is that the perpetrators went to extreme lengths to conceal the truth from everyone.
We are resolute in our commitment to protecting children, and we are determined to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review alongside partner agencies, to thoroughly understand the wider circumstances surrounding Saras tragic death.
Sharif, Batool and Malik will be sentenced on Tuesday.
