Sara Sharif’s mother speaks out about abusive ex who killed their daughter: ‘He tried to set me on fire’

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool convicted of murdering Sara Sharif, 10, after campaign of abuse

Sara Sharif’s mother has said the schoolgirl’s father attempted to set her on fire and strangle her with a belt before he murdered their daughter.

Olga Domin also claimed she was locked in a room for a day by Urfan Sharif, 42, her former partner, who was convicted of murdering 10-year-old Sara at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

Ms Domin added Sharif banned her from seeing their daughter after she lost custody of their daughter in 2019 to him and his wife, Beinash Batool, 30, who was also found guilty of Sara’s murder.

The trial heard the schoolgirl was subjected to a campaign of abuse, which included being hooded, restrained and beaten – culminating in her death at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August last year.

Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, who lived with them, was convicted of causing or allowing her death.

Sara Sharif suffered a campaign of abuse in her home (PA Media)

Following the verdicts, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said questions must be answered over the “awful” case.

The Times reports Ms Domin, who is from Poland, told local news channel TVN24 at the time of Sara’s death: “There was a situation when [Sharif] told me not to go anywhere. I said I was going because my friend was waiting for me. He started to strangle me with a belt then.

“He tried to set me on fire once – he poured oil on me, but my cousin stopped him.

“And he simply locked me in a room. He locked me up for the whole day until the police arrived. When they showed up, he pretended that nothing had happened, that the door was open.”

Left to right: Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik, who were all convicted at the Old Bailey on Wednesday over Sara’s death (Surrey Police/AFP/Getty)

Ms Domin alleged she lost custody of her daughter because Sara falsely claimed she slapped her.

She said: “I was supposed to have visits and normal rights... At first, the contact was normal.”

But she alleged the visits stopped after Batool wrote and told Ms Domin Sara “did not want to see her”.

After claiming she contacted social services asking for support, she said: “They said [Sara] did not want to see me, and there was nothing they could do about it. And that all I could do was wait.”

A picture of Sara posted on her mother Olga’s social media account (Olga Sharif/Instagram)

Sara’s grandmother Sylwia Kurz said: “This would not have happened if [Sara] had stayed with her mother. Olga broke down terribly at that time, she even wanted to commit suicide. It was terrible for all of us.

“What my daughter went through because of him and how she was treated, beaten and intimidated … I tried to influence him, but Olga asked me not to say anything to him, because if he found out that I knew something, he would hit her again.”

Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, told MPs on Thursday: “We are committed to further reform of children’s social care and much stronger safeguards for children being taken into home education.

“This is long overdue, and further details will be announced imminently.”