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Stepmother of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif wants inquest to be held with jury

On Monday, Beinash Batool, the woman convicted of murdering her stepdaughter Sara Sharif, requested that the inquest into the 10-year-old's death be held before a jury. Senior coroner for Surrey Richard Travers said he would consider the application at the next hearing.
Lawyer Anton van Dellen argued that diverse juries could better assess whether officials failed to intervene due to "fear of causing offence." Neighbours previously expressed concern about "being branded as being racist" if they reported suspicions regarding Sara.
The eight-week inquest will examine what state agencies knew about Sara's safety before her death. Sara endured severe abuse, with post-mortem examinations revealing injuries including bite marks and burns.
Video links allowed Urfan Sharif and Batool to attend the hearing from prison. The coroner rejected Sharif's attempt to critique evidence, stating the inquest is not a re-trial of his criminal conviction.
Surrey County Council stated it had taken "robust action" to address earlier findings after previously apologizing for oversight. Separately, Faisal Malik remains jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing Sara's death.

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Stepmother of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif wants inquest to be held with jury

Sara's father and stepmother, Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool, were found guilty of her murder and jailed for life with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years, respectively, in December 2024.

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