UNITED Kingdom police investigating the death of a 10-year-old girl said today they had charged her father, stepmother and uncle with murder after the trio returned to Britain from Pakistan.

Sara Sharif’s body was discovered at the family’s home near Woking, southern England, on August 10. A post-mortem revealed she had sustained “multiple and extensive injuries” over a sustained period.

Her relatives were arrested late Wednesday at London’s Gatwick Airport after disembarking a flight from Dubai following a month on the run in Pakistan.

Police said Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, fled to Pakistan to take refuge with relatives before Sara’s body was found, sparking an international manhunt.

All three have been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, said Surrey police in a statement. The trio were in custody and due to appear in court later today.

A Pakistan police spokesman earlier said Urfan, Beinash and Faisal voluntarily returned to Britain with the prior knowledge of authorities.

Surrey police said previously the three were thought to have flown to Islamabad on August 9, the day before Sara’s body was discovered.

An early morning emergency call alerting officers to Sara’s death was made from Pakistan by a man identifying himself as the father, said detectives.

The house was otherwise empty, and the manhunt continued with Interpol and Britain’s Foreign Ministry coordinating with Pakistan authorities.

Five of Sara’s purported siblings, aged between one and 13 and brought to Pakistan with the adults, were discovered at the home of Urfan Sharif’s father on Monday.

Sara’s Polish mother, Olga Sharif, said she could barely recognise her daughter’s small, battered body when she identified her at the mortuary last month.

She told Polish television one of Sara’s cheeks was swollen and the other side of her face was bruised.

Olga and Urfan separated in 2015, and Sara and her older brother lived with their mother until a family court determined in 2019 they should reside with their father, said UK media. – AFP, September 15, 2023.