Sara Sharif’s Father Faces Sentence Review for Being ‘Unduly Lenient’

The Solicitor General has referred Urfan Sharif’s 40-year minimum life sentence to the Court of Appeal, citing concerns about its adequacy.

Urfan Sharif was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif, who endured years of abuse and torture.
The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby, has referred Sharif's sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, seeking a potential increase in the minimum term.
Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 33 years, while her uncle, Faisal Malik, received 16 years for causing or allowing her death; both are also appealing their sentences.
The court heard that Sara suffered 71 injuries, including burns, scalds, and human bite marks, in what was described as a culmination of years of neglect and torture.
Sharif, Batool, and Malik fled to Pakistan with Sara’s siblings immediately after her death in August 2023 but were detained upon their return to the UK in September.