Murder of Sara Sharif

Sara Sharif, then 10 years old, was murdered by her father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool on 8 August 2023. Her body was discovered in her family's residence in Woking, Surrey, England, two days later. An autopsy revealed that she had been regularly and severely abused. Urfan and Beinash, and Urfan's brother, Faisal Malik, fled to Pakistan on 9 August. Upon arriving, Urfan called Surrey police and reported Sara's death. The three were immediate suspects and an international manhunt was launched. They were then arrested on 13 September 2023 at Gatwick Airport after voluntarily flying back to the UK.

On 11 December 2024, Urfan and Beinash were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Faisal was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and was sentenced to 16 years. On 1 January 2025, Urfan was attacked in prison, sustaining non-life threatening injuries to his face and neck. In January 2025, the Solicitor General's office referred the case to the Court of Appeal, requesting an increase Urfan's sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, while Urfan and Beinash petitioned the Court of Appeal for a reduction in their sentences; both appeals were denied.

Sara's murder was widely reported for the brutality of the abuse she had endured, which raised questions why authorities failed to protect her. Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented, calling the case "awful" and said that the government would learn from her death. Will Forster, representing Woking in Parliament, proposed an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill titled "Sara's Law", which would facilitate increased communication between social services and schools.