Part 2 Sara Sharif case-update-horrifying

[ineedtowomanup]

Sara Sharif case - update - horrifying http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/5208854-sara-sharif-case-update-horrifying

Ahead of sentencing. Original thread above.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4glrqkw751t

They've been sentenced

Been so many cases of child cruelty over the years, but I don't think I can ever recall anything so horrific as this. It absolutely beggars belief. Just reading the updated story back today on the BBC website, I had to stop half-way through.

There is deep sadness and in her eyes in every single picture of her even when she's smiling. It's just too upsetting for words what the poor little soul went through for simply being an innocent little girl.

I know, you can even see yellow marks (possible old bruises) in some of these photos 💔

The baby P and Victoria Climbié were horrific too. I was haunted for days after reading the sentencing remarks.

She was clearly trying so hard to be brave through it with her singing and dancing. Bless her heart

The other children - now trapped in Pakistan - also have no hope of a normal life going forward.
One of the absolute worst cases I've ever heard of. That poor, sweet girl.

We don't know the background of the perps do we.
Her brother witnessed the abuse, apparently other dc were attacked as well.
The dad, grandad in Pakistan doesn't believe his son has done g

Has done this.

I really feel bashool sister needs to be held to account. Why didn't she report it.

My heart was broken listening to her singing, some of the lyrics felt relevant to what she was going through. Poor little girl, I heard she really liked X factor and wanted to go on it. Maybe she saw music as her escape plan.

I don't even know if the sister is in the UK but yes, if there is any way to charge her they should.

Oh very true.

I think at the very least a police grilling hopefully she's already had one and made clear it's not OK to be a silent witness

I agree however I don’t mean this in a horrible way - are her sister’s actions (or lack of in this context) a crime? I’m not sure of the law.

What I did notice is the judge directly said her sisters gave their phones to the police, where the WhatsApp messages were retrieved and that Batool never gave her phone in as evidence.

I wonder if the sister’s compliance with the investigation meant it wasn’t feasible to prosecute them. I also imagine that the WhatsApp evidence was dated a few years ago, because both Batool’s sisters blocked her and cut contact with her. So it might be different as they weren’t directly aware of the attacks leading to Sara’s murder, like Faisal Malik was. So he was clear-cut guilty of allowing her death as those injuries he ignored led to death.

@Anonymousess that makes sense thank you. I didn't know what re sisters.

I'm disappointed Sharif wasn't given a whole life order - murder of a child with sadistic conduct would qualify, and I'd be prepared to argue whacking a child with a baseball bat, metal pole, biting, burning, scalding and declaring it "legal discipline" (words to that effect) is sadistic.

Poor Sara didn't stand a chance against these monsters. RIP.

Also I just finished watching the entire sentencing hearing. I felt the judge was thorough and did not hold anything back. What she went through was much more horrific than articles summarised…

At times, it seemed like he was disgusted though he remained dignified. I think he set out his decisions well enough to diminish the success of potential appeals, especially with Batool and Malik. Batool with her mitigation and Malik with his involvement. Judge called out many contradictions in their actions, and even pointed out things that were inferred but not proven.

@WhatsitWiggle that is a good point.

In the video of his sentencing remarks, the judge refers a sentencing guidelines document specifically around whole life orders and 30 years minimum for crimes with sexual nature/sadism. He directly said the crime doesn’t meet the definition of sexual or sadistic, but he felt it warranted the 30 year starting point regardless.

I wasn’t quite sure how it wasn’t sadistic, having not read the guidelines he references. Probably boils down to evidence of sadism as opposed to inference.

He's been sentenced to 40 years minimum term, so he would be 83 before he can even be considered for parole, so he's very likely to die in prison. Perhaps a whole life term might be a bit of a moot point given his age (and possibly more vulnerable to appeal?)

@Wimberry I agree, I think the judge was trying to be mindful of appeals. The way he structured his sentencing remarks, suggests he had appeals in mind.

I found this link which quotes the prosecution as saying: “One aspect of the evidence that is perhaps absent is any evidence that pain was inflicted to Sara for the purpose of the defendants’ pleasure and personal gratification”, he said.

I cried when I saw tonight's news .It is so sad .The little girl loved singing and dancing. She is not able to do that anymore as she was tortured. I am still upset.

The whole lot of them need to rot in hell. I hope justice is done in prison. 83 is quite an age to be in jail. I somehow don’t think that he totally understands what he has done, only that it ended the way it did.

I'd argue it definitely was for his pleasure it was his hobby.

I wonder if psychologists work on this because I'm not sure how anyone without lots of psycho looking at it woud work that out without working out why he did it

I, can't believe how calm they all are!

Someone on bbc news has just said perhaps biggest change will be to get earlier intervention with Sara's family. I hope that means removal rather than working with the family because it's clear that devious behaviour and violence is in that man's very nature.
You can't work that out.
He also attended some good dad courses.

@PomandersandRedRibbon it hasn't been specified in the case, but if the defence team felt that there could be anything that would support the defence then they would request psychological or psychiatric assessments and reports to influence sentencing. That hasn't been mentioned so I assume he and the others have always been deemed to be of sound mind.

Sadly as much as we wish to look for unusual explanations, being cruel, having someone to blame/scapegoating, and enjoying having power over someone is not a particularly unusual thing. Unusual in the extent yes, but this is a situation that escalated over many years, and if unchallenged and abetted by others, I can see how it could get to this point. I mean, it's horrific and I don't for a second justify it, but, well, anyone on Mumsnet will have read plenty about the propensity of some to violence.