A UK court has sentenced Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif.
The sentencing took place on Tuesday at Londonโs Old Bailey court, where the judge described their actions as a โdespicable campaign of abuse.โ
Saraโs body was discovered with bite marks, bruises, broken bones, and burns, revealing the extent of the physical abuse she endured before her death.
The court heard that the abuse was sustained over a prolonged period, leaving the young girl in unimaginable pain.
Sharif and Batool, her father and stepmother, were ordered to serve minimum terms of 40 and 33 years, respectively, before being eligible for parole.
In delivering the sentence, the judge condemned their actions, stating that their treatment of Sara demonstrated โa complete lack of humanityโ and was โan appalling betrayal of trust.โ
Sara Sharif, of British-Pakistani descent, became the subject of a high-profile investigation following her death, which drew widespread condemnation and media attention.
Her case has sparked renewed calls for vigilance and intervention in suspected child abuse cases.