Sara Sharif’s mother says she is haunted by the sight of her daughter’s body in a mortuary.
The 10-year-old was found dead in her home in Woking on 10 August after her father Urfan Sharif called 999 from Pakistan.
Police now want to question him, his partner Beinash Batool and brother Faisal Shahzad Malik who are believed to have fled to Pakistan with five children the day before Sara’s body was found.
Sara Sharif. Pic: AP
The young girl’s mother Olga Sharif, who separated from Mr Sharif in 2015, spoke to the Polish television programme Uwaga! on Wednesday.
“One of her cheeks was swollen and the other side was bruised. Even now, when I close my eyes I can see what my baby looked like.
“They dressed her in Mickey Mouse pyjamas and she had a quilt over her.
“No mother should have to see something like that.”
Sara‘s grandmother Sylwia Kurz said: “It wasn’t Sara, she was entirely changed and bruised. If someone hadn’t told me it was Sara, I would have never believed it.”
Sara and her older brother had been living with their mother from 2015 until 2019, when the family court ruled they should live with their father.
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‘Sara’s cheeks were swollen and bruised’
Ms Sharif still had equal rights to see the children and said while that was easy to maintain initially, it became increasingly harder over time.
It comes after the young girl’s stepmother said the family is willing to cooperate with British authorities and “fight our case in court”.
In a video shared with Sky News, Mr Sharif and Ms Batool are sitting side-by-side as she reads a prepared statement from a notebook.
She denies media reports that Mr Sharif’s brother Imran said Sara fell down the stairs and claims the family has “gone into hiding”.
Sara Sherif’s stepmother and father
“Firstly, I would like to talk about Sara. Sara’s death was an incident. Our family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on,” Ms Batool said.
She spoke about the worry she has for the family’s safety and claimed they have been misrepresented in the press.
“All the media have been giving wrong statements and making up lies.”
She also said the family are running out of food and are unable to venture outside.
“All of our family members have gone into hiding as everyone is scared for their safety.
“The kids are unable to attend school as they’re afraid to leave the house. No one is leaving the house.
“The groceries have run out and there is no food for the kids as the adults are unable to leave their homes out of fear for safety.”
Read more:
School pays tribute to ‘bubbly and confident’ Sara
Trio booked flights to Pakistan a day before body found
Surrey Police said the video was “significant”.
“We have been liaising with our international partners, including Interpol, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the National Crime Agency, to determine the next steps.
“As you will appreciate, progressing these enquiries through the appropriate channels has to be handled carefully and sensitively.
“The welfare of the five children who travelled to Pakistan on 9 August is a priority for us.
“We remain absolutely committed to conducting a thorough investigation into Sara’s death. Any co-operation from the people we want to speak to will assist the enquiry.”