A jury at the Old Bailey heard that Sara Sharif’s teacher had seen her with bruises on her face while at school, months before she was found dead. Helen Simmons, who taught Sara in Year 4 and Year 5, had noticed a bruise on the underside of Sara’s chin and another on her cheek in March 2023. When asked about them, Sara claimed she had fallen over some roller-skates. After noticing that Sara gave inconclusive information, St Mary’s Primary referred her to Social Services. Ms Batool, Sara’s stepmother, later claimed that the new bruises were from a pen and asked Simmons not to jump to conclusions again. Urfan Sharif, Sara’s father, Beinash Batool, her stepmother, and Faisal Malik, her uncle, have pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
On August 9th, 2023, the day before Sara’s body was found, Mr. Sharif, Ms. Batool, and Mr. Malik were arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan, after having travelled there from the UK. The three defendants also face child death charges but have pleaded not guilty
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