The Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey, Lisa Townsend, has issued the following statement following the conclusion of the Sara Sharif murder trial earlier today:
“The murder of Sara Sharif has been one of the most harrowing and tragic cases ever dealt with by Surrey Police and I welcome the guilty verdicts returned by the jury today.
“Sara was a bright and vibrant little girl and the suffering she must have gone through in the final months of her young life is simply heartbreaking and almost impossible to comprehend.
“In the one place where she should have felt safe – she was subjected to the most unimaginable and barbaric abuse at the hands of the very people who should have been protecting her.
“Upon her death, instead of summoning help or accepting any responsibility for what they had done, they fled the country. Since that day, they have consistently sought to avoid blame for the sheer evil they inflicted upon Sara over a prolonged period of time.
“Sadly, one of the common hallmarks of violence perpetrated against women and girls is that it is carried out behind closed doors often by those closest to them.
“It is clear in this case that calculated attempts were made to ensure the sustained abuse of Sara happened out of plain sight.
“But there are undoubtedly questions that need answering on what could have been done to prevent her death. So I welcome the safeguarding review into the circumstances which led up to the tragic events of last summer.
“This was a challenging and complex international investigation and I want to thank all those agencies involved both in the UK and Pakistan for their co-operation and assistance.
“I also want to thank all of the officers and staff who have worked so hard to bring Sara’s killers to justice. In particular, I must commend the painstaking work of our amazing forensic teams who were able to uncover the true scale of horrifying abuse that Sara suffered.
“I can only admire the professionalism and diligence all those involved in this investigation have displayed in securing the appalling but vital evidence which was put before the court and enabled the jury to return their guilty verdicts.
“They have been driven throughout by a pursuit of justice for Sara. That justice has been secured today and I know this case will stay with them forever.”