LONDON: On the second day of the Sara Sharif murder trial, new revelations were made by the prosecution at London’s Old Bailey, as it was suggested that the 10-year-old may have been made to wear homemade plastic hoods and that her hijab at school could have been used to hide bruises from the outside world.

Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, are all standing trial for her murder, which took place in August 2023 in Woking, Surrey. They have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. The trial is expected to continue for seven weeks.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC told the court that Sara had begun wearing a hijab in early 2023. He suggested that the decision to cover her head was likely intended to conceal injuries caused by abuse at home.

This claim was supported by evidence from Sara’s teachers, who had previously noticed bruises on her face in both June 2022 and March 2023. The teachers said Sara acted coy when asked about the bruises, often pulling her hijab to obscure them.

Sara was withdrawn to be home schooled in April 2023.

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Jones stated that plastic bags found wrapped with parcel tape and showing traces of Sara’s blood were likely used to create “homemade hoods” that may have been placed over Sara’s head. The stepmother, Batool, had allegedly purchased 18 rolls of parcel tape in the month leading up to the child’s death. Fingerprints matching Urfan Sharif were discovered on some of these makeshift hoods.

The prosecutor said: “The prosecution suggests that it is in fact obvious what these items were. They are homemade hoods. They had been placed over Sara’s head, we suggest and then taped in place.”

He also told the court that some linear bruises found on Sara Sharif’s body gave the impression of being caused by an object, rather than fists and feet. A plastic-coated metal pole found in a brick out house at the address was compared to Sara’s bruising by an expert, who concluded that the pole appears to be a candidate for having been used to cause those particular bruises.

The expert also found that other bruises may have been caused by a belt buckle found in a Wendy house in the garden, he added.

During Monday’s opening arguments, the jury heard that Sara had been subjected to a “campaign of abuse” resulting in her death. Prosecutors described disturbing injuries discovered on her body, including bite marks, burns and broken bones.

She was found dead in her home, her body lying under a blanket in a bunk bed, after Urfan Sharif called emergency services to confess he had “killed” her.

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The prosecution alleges that all three defendants played an active role in the abuse, though they have denied responsibility. Sharif initially told police that he had “legally punished” his daughter but later fled to Pakistan with his family.

The court also heard that a neighbour had reported hearing “gut-wrenching screams” and sounds of “smacking” from the family’s home as far back as 2020.

In the coming days, the court will examine evidence suggesting the defendants conspired to cover up their involvement.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2024