Three members of Sara Sharif’s family have pleaded not guilty to her murder.
The 10-year-old’s father, Urfan Sharif, her stepmother, Beinash Batool, and uncle Faisal Malik are accused of killing her. Sara’s body was discovered at her home in Woking, Surrey, on 10 August.
All three of the accused appeared at the Old Bailey via video link on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled for September next year.
They also pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and 9 August 2023.
A previous court hearing was told that police found Sara’s body under a blanket on a bunk bed at her home after receiving a call from Pakistan at 2.47am on 10 August. The court was told the defendants had booked a flight to the country two days earlier.
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that Sara was found to have “a constellation of healed and healing injuries”.
The day before her body was discovered, the three defendants had left the UK for Pakistan with five children. They returned to the UK on 13 September and were arrested on landing at Gatwick airport.
