Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the Old Bailey

Image source, Surrey Police

As the judge said “take them down”, Sara’s father, stepmother and uncle were led out of the dock and down to the cells, bringing an end to a case that has heard weeks of unimaginable horror.

But it was Sara’s memory that lingered in the courtroom after they’d gone.

Her “unquenchable spirit” as the judge put it, her courage and her love for singing and dancing.

This has been a heartbreaking and traumatic case to sit through.

There will be many questions in the days and weeks ahead about what more could have been done to save Sara.

But for now justice has been publicly served.

Our live page is closing shortly, but we have more to read around this case:

• Here's a full write up on how the sentences were handed down
• Sara's head teacher gives an insight into her life at school as a much-loved pupil who would "sing to anyone who would listen"
• Our Pakistan correspondent tracked down the man who hid Sara's family when they fled

Earlier we heard the sentences handed down to Sara Sharif's father, stepmother, and uncle. Here's a brief recap of what happened at the Old Bailey:

• Sara's father Urfan Sharif was sentenced to life in prison for her murder, and must serve a minimum of 40 years
• Her stepmother Beinash Batool was also given a life sentence for her murder, with a minimum term of 33 years
• Faisal Malik, Sara's uncle, was not found guilty of murder, but received a jail sentence of 16 years for causing or allowing the death of a child
• The judge said in his sentencing that Sara "was battered with great force again and again" and suffered "a campaign of torture"
• The 10-year-old was described by the judge as "a very courageous little girl with an unquenchable spirit" who loved to sing and dance
• In a statement, Sara's mother Olga said her daughter was "always smiling" and that she "had her own unique character"

Image source, Surrey Police

Carrie Davies
Pakistan correspondent

By the time police found 10-year-old Sara Sharif’s body at her home in Woking in Surrey on 10 August 2023, Sara’s family had already left the country. The ramifications of that decision are still playing out in Pakistan.

Five of Sara’s siblings were taken to Pakistan by her father, Urfan Sharif, stepmother, Beinash Batool and uncle Faisal Malik. The family of eight spent weeks in hiding as the police hunted for them, at times hiding in cornfields to evade them according to the man who told the BBC he hid them

The children were discovered when police raided their grandfather’s house in early September 2023 and subsequently sent to a state childcare facility. When the three adults flew back to the UK a few days later, they left the children behind.

All five are still in Pakistan, now in the temporary care of a relative while the legal battle for where they will live in the long term continues.

In 2023 during a series of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, Sara's siblings were made wards of court, and the court ordered that they should be returned to the UK. However, there have also been simultaneous court proceedings in Pakistan as the children’s grandfather, Muhammad Sharif, has fought for custody.

The BBC team in Pakistan has been in attendance of many of the court hearings since September 2023 - for some of the early hearings the children would often be in court, More recently the hearings, which occur every few weeks, have just been attended by lawyers from either side.

Despite over a year of legal back and forth, the children still do not know whether they will stay in Pakistan or be returned to the UK.

A Surrey County Council spokesperson 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."

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the Old Bailey

Image source, BBC/Julia Quenzler

On the morning of 13 November, four weeks into the murder trial of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, came a moment so dramatic it left jurors open-mouthed and an Old Bailey courtroom horrified.

Sara’s father Urfan Sharif had not long been in the witness box on the seventh day of giving evidence when suddenly, trembling, he uttered five words that would change the course of the trial.

“She died because of me.”

Until then, he had denied almost everything, instead blaming his wife - Sara’s stepmother - for her death.

It was the defining moment of an eight-week murder trial.

You can read more in my analysis piece here.

Let's bring you fresh comments from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which is calling for "substantial, nationwide reform" to child protection services in the wake of Sara Sharif's murder.

In a statement released after the sentencing, acting CEO of the NSPCC Maria Neophytou said that the Child Safeguarding Practice Review must undertake "an exhaustive search" for answers to understand "how this horrific abuse was able to happen, and for so long".

"Sara has now joined a lengthening list from recent years, which also includes Arthur Labinjo Hughes, Star Hobson and Alfie Phillips, where horrific abuse from a parent or carer has directly led to the death of a young child," Neophytou said.

"To significantly reduce the likelihood of more of these terrible cases emerging, there needs to be substantial, nationwide reform and investment in the services which we rely on to keep our children safe."

Image source, Surrey Police

In delivering his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Cavanagh said today that the events in the case "inevitably raise questions" about whether more could have been done to prevent Sara's death - citing specifically risks associated with unsupervised homeschooling for vulnerable children.

The trial showed again and again how Surrey County Council's children's services, Surrey Police and her primary school were all aware of concerns about her family, but none was able to offer a lifeline to Sara.

England's children's commissioner said Sara's murder showed the "profound weaknesses" in the child protection system, as she called for change - including stricter rules on letting vulnerable children be home-schooled.

The NSPCC said child protection services are struggling to cope amid a lack of resources and there were "crucial questions" to answer.

There will now be an independent local safeguarding review of all professionals who had contact with the family, which Surrey County Council says it will play an active part in.

The sentences handed down to Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik "reflect the cruelty and gravity" of their crimes, the Crown Prosecution Service says.

In a statement released by the CPS after the sentencing, specialist prosecutor for CPS South East Libby Clark, said Sara was a joyful 10-year-old whose life was" tragically cut short by the very people who should have protected and cared for her".

"The evidence in this case painted a devastating picture of the suffering Sara experienced," she said, adding that all of this was shown by the injuries found on her body.

Sharif, Batool and Malik demonstrated a "shocking" disregard for her life in the actions they took after her death, the statement added.

Sara Sharif experienced "daily living hell" at home at the hands of her father and stepmother, but at school she was a caring, cheerful "chatterbox", who loved singing and dancing, her head teacher said.

Jacquie Chambers told the BBC that Sara was a much-loved pupil at St Mary's Primary School who would "sing to anyone who would listen" and had dreams of appearing on The X Factor.

Despite the torture she suffered at home, Chambers said Sara was a “cheerful little soul” in the classroom and she would always be helping younger pupils in the playground.

“She would write songs all of the time and she would sing to anyone who would listen,” she said - something this video clip of Sara, released by police, demonstrates:

Image source, Surrey Police

• June 2022: Sara's primary school notices a bruise under her left eye
• March 2023: The school notices a bruise on her chin and a dark mark on her right eye, and contacts Children’s Single Point of Access for advice, which agrees that a referral to social services is needed
• 16 March 2023: Social services decides to take no further action
• April 2023: Sara's father informs the school that she is to be withdrawn for home schooling
• 8 August 2023: Sara dies at her family home in Woking, Surrey
• 9 August 2023: Her father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool, and uncle, Faisal Malik travel from Heathrow Airport to Islamabad, Pakistan, with Sara's five brothers and sisters

• 10 August 2023: Sara’s body is found at her home. She sustained "multiple and extensive injuries" before her death, a post-mortem reveals. Surrey Police began liaising with international partners
• 15 August 2023: Pakistan police say they received a request from Interpol to search for the group
• 16 August 2023: The police began searching for Sharif, Batool and Malik
• 13 September 2023: All three are arrested on suspicion of murder at Gatwick Airport on returning to the UK from Pakistan
• 15 September 2023: The three relatives are charged with Sara's murder, and further accused of causing or allowing the death of a child
• 7 October 2024: The trial of Sara’s father, stepmother and uncle begins - all three deny the charges
• 11 December 2024: Jury finds Sara's father and stepmother guilty of murder. Her uncle is found not guilty of murder but guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child
• 17 December 2024: Sharif and Batool are sentenced to life in prison with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years, respectively. Malik is jailed for 16 years

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the Old Bailey

There was no reaction from Sharif as he was sentenced, he looked down.

As he was sentenced there was some clapping from the public gallery, and the judge asked for quiet.

Batool looked as if she was about to cry, but no reaction from any of them apart from that. Malik had his head down.

The defendants were led out of the dock and down to the cells to begin their long prison sentences.

The judge thanks the teams involved in the case, all members of the counsel teams and the court staff.

Faisal Malik, 29, Sara's uncle, receives a jail sentence of 16 years for causing or allowing the death of a child.

Urfan Sharif, 43, Sara's father, is sentenced to life in prison for her murder and must serve a minimum of 40 years.

Her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, is also given a life sentence for her murder, with a minimum term of 33 years.

Justice Cavanagh now speaks of mitigating factors in Batool's case, saying Batool was not the prime mover in assaults against Sara.

She also sometimes showed "acts of kindness" towards Sara and treated her wounds, he says - but treated Sara as the family servant.

The judge says Batool was in a coercive and controlling relationship with Sharif and adds that she was vulnerable and sometimes a victim of abuse at Sharif's hands.

He says Batool was under a great deal of strain looking after six children, and that she had a difficult and strict family background and upbringing.

Image source, Surrey Police

Justice Cavanagh is listing some of the aggravating factors in Batool's case, which include Sara's age and vulnerability, and the fact that Batool could have put a stop to the treatment, which she knew to be wrong.

He also says she singled Sara out as a female child with a different mother.

The judge says there was use of weapons and restraints, and attempts to cover up Sara's injuries - and the abuse was within earshot and sight of other children.

He also lists other aggravating factors as the fact Batool did not call an ambulance for Sara, that she fled to Pakistan - and that she has "no credible remorse".

The judge is addressing stepmother Beinash Batool, saying she assisted Sharif's abuse and helped to cover it up.

He says Batool was "prepared to sacrifice Sara" as she was not her biological child and she did not care very much about her.

He adds Batool was complicit in the abuse and says the starting point for the minimum term in prison, like Sharif, should be 30 years.

Daniel Sandford
Reporting from the Old Bailey

We are nearly an hour into the judge's sentencing statements, and still the defendants stare at the floor.

The jurors present are staring at Beinash Batool as the judge discusses a possible 30-year starting point for Batool's minimum sentence term.

Image source, Surrey Police

Justice Cavanagh is now turning to what sentences the defendants should receive - you can watch above by clicking watch live.

He says the starting point for father Urfan Sharif's minimum term in prison should be 30 years.

"You plainly derived grim satisfaction from your campaign of violence against Sara," he says.

He says aggravating factors will bring a substantial uplift from the starting point, and goes over the details of the years of abuse and cover-ups Sara was subjected to.

The judge briefly turns to whether more could have been done by the authorities, given previous safeguarding concerns raised by Sara's school and the fact that Sharif was on the radar of various authorities.

He stresses that commenting on this is not the role of sentencing - but makes one comment that the case "brings into sharp relief" the dangers of unsupervised home schooling for vulnerable children.

Sara was "a very courageous little girl with an unquenchable spirit", Justice Cavanagh says, and she loved to sing and dance.

He says a video filmed not long before she died of her dancing in front of the TV shows her mobility was impaired, but despite everything, she still smiled at the camera.

Among the most heartbreaking evidence, the judge says, was a short story she wrote that described Batool as a "queen", a birthday card to Sharif that said "I love you, dad", and an apology note that asked for forgiveness for answering back.

Her abuse had become normalised for her, the judge says.

"She had known nothing else for her entire life," the judge says, adding that Sharif and Batool had persuaded Sara that she deserved the treatment.

The judge describes Sara as a "beautiful little girl" who was "full of personality".

He says her mother describes her as "always smiling".

The judge goes on to quote a teaching assistant at her primary school describing Sara as "bubbly, confident, chatty, engaging".