More than 100 mourners gather at vigil for murdered Sara Sharif with candle placed on behalf of grieving mum
MORE than 100 mourners gathered for a vigil outside the home where Sara Sharif was murdered last night – as a candle was lit on behalf of her grieving mum.
The flame was lit by Olga Domin’s friend and was accompanied by a note reading: “Love you my little princess. I will miss you forever. Love mummy.”
More than 100 people gathered outside the three-bedroom semi-detached home with candles and flowers to remember the ten-year-old girl who was tortured and killed by her dad and step-mum, while her uncle allowed it to happen.
Olga’s friend, who brought the candle on her behalf, told The Sun: “There’s no-one else here to do it for her. I think she needs to stay with Sara. I said to her I would rather you stay with Sara and be there where she is now.
“She needs to grieve. I will light a candle on her behalf, and make sure Olga is here in spirit.
“It’s self-explanatory why I have come. We couldn’t have a funeral because of what they did.
“It was a small service and her ashes were handed back at a later date. It was so small.
“Olga told me what to write on the candle.
“I’ve also got one candle from my children who never got to say goodbye to her.
“Sara was an amazing girl who deserves to be remembered for who she was.
“No one else was like Sara. She was 100 miles per hour, dancing, singing.
“She was never ever, ever an angry child. She was never sad.
“All the pictures released of Sara since the verdicts, pictures of her smiling, were when she was at home with her mum.
“She was a really happy child. It’s the saddest thing.
“The vigil hit me like it’s a funeral. I wanted to say goodbye to her properly now.”
Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik will be sentenced on Tuesday after being convicted earlier this week.
Olga said after the verdicts on Wednesday: “My dear Sara, I ask God to please take care of my little girl, she was taken too soon.
“Sara had beautiful brown eyes and an angelic voice. Sara’s smile could brighten up the darkest room.
“Everyone who knew Sara will know her unique character, her beautiful smile and loud laugh.
“She will always be in our hearts, her laughter will bring warmth to our lives. We miss Sara very much. Love you Princess.”
An eight-week Old Bailey trial heard devastating details of how Sara had been hooded, burned, bitten and beaten before her death.
The schoolgirl had suffered at least 71 external injuries when she was found dead at home on August 10 last year.
Sharif, 43, his wife Batool, 30, and brother Faisal Malik, 29, were then at the centre of a global manhunt when they fled the UK after her death.
After arriving in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sharif called police to confess his daughter was dead after he had beaten her up “too much”.
They were each arrested after arriving back at Gatwick Airport after five weeks on the run.
Their subsequent trial heard how “suffered dreadfully” and was burned with an iron, bitten and had a bag taped over head before she was found dead.
The schoolgirl was made to wear a hijab to conceal her injuries, which neighbours found “unusual” as she was the only family member to wear one.
Packing tape was used to tie the terrified schoolgirl to a radiator and she was made to wear a nappy.
This violence reached a fatal head on August 8 when Sara was battered to death with a cricket bat.
She was then taken into the garden, stripped of her dirty leggings and nappy and cleaned with a jetwash.
When police arrived, the found a chilling note by the schoolgirl that read: “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to murder and to causing or allowing the death of a child between December 16, 2022, and August 9, 2023.
But the dad and stepmum were convicted of murder and uncle found guilty of causing or allowing her death.