Sara Sharif's heartbroken mum speaks out after police arrest dad, partner and uncle on suspicion of murder
The heartbroken mum of Sara Sharif has spoken out following the arrest of Sara's father, his partner and brother on suspicion of murder.
Sara, 10, was found dead in her Surrey home on 10 August, with investigations taking place ever since.
Sara's father Urfan, his partner Beinash Batool and brother Faisal Malik, travelled to Islamabad a day before police discovered her body in Woking.
A post-mortem examination found the girl had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' over a 'sustained and extended' period of time.
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In a statement released on Wednesday (13 September), Surrey Police said: "This evening, around 7.45pm, three people were arrested in connection with this investigation at Gatwick Airport.
“Two men, aged 41 years and 28 years, and a woman, aged 29 years, were arrested on suspicion of murder after disembarking a flight from Dubai. They are currently in custody and will be interviewed in due course.
“Sara’s mother has been informed of this latest update and is being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts remain with her and those affected by Sara’s death at this very difficult time.
“This has been an extremely fast-moving, challenging and complex enquiry and we remain absolutely committed to conducting a thorough investigation into Sara’s death.
“We will not be commenting any further at this point and will provide further updates as and when we are able to.”
A spokesperson for Sialkot Police in Pakistan said that the three who had been arrested were handed over to the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency.
Five of Sara's siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, travelled with Sharif, Batool and Malik to Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, on 9 August.
Surrey Police had previously said they were working to secure the children's safe return after a court ruled that they would be moved to temporary accommodation in a government facility.
Following the arrest of three family members, Sara's mum, Olga gave an interview to The Sun, where she described the arrests as a 'huge relief'.
She said: "I am very happy that the police have made arrests.
“It is a huge relief and something I didn’t think would happen this quickly.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders but there is still a long way to go before I feel closure.
“What is important now is that the police can investigate with no information being kept back or put to the side.
“This needs everyone to work together.
“I have had to wait a long time for this and I didn’t know if they would ever be able to investigate what happened to my daughter.”
Previously, Olga has said that her 10-year-old was an 'amazing child'.
Callum Jones