Mum pays tribute to 'beautiful and happy' girl, 10, found murdered in Woking house as international manhunt launched
15 August 2023, 06:32 | Updated: 15 August 2023, 09:33
The devastated mother of a 10-year-old girl found dead at her home in Woking house has paid tribute to her "beautiful" daughter.
Sara Sharif, who was alone when found at the property in Woking, was "happy and always laughing", Olga Sharif said.
The 36-year-old has been left unable to sleep after her girl was found dead.
"My life will never be the same again. Sara should be with me right now. She was too young," Olga, who now lives in Yeovil, told The Sun. She said her ex-husband was given sole custody of the girl by a court.
"Sara was an amazing child. She had lots of friends at school and she would get on with anyone. Whenever I picked her up I would hear kids shouting 'Bye Sara'.
The Polish-born mother revealed how her girl loved the arts and the pair would spend afternoons knitting jumpers or crocheting.
"There is nothing I can do that can bring her back to life, so I have to only remember the good times with her now. Life is really hard. It's just not fair," she said.
But she added she had only seen her children twice in the four years since she lost custody and she stopped getting new photos of the children after an argument with her ex-husband's new partner two years ago.
Olga, a Catholic, said her Muslim ex-husband and her argued over which religion the children would follow and when they should choose which to adhere to.
She hopes to bury Sara in Poland, where she was planning to move back to when she got the heartbreaking call about her girl's death.
"I couldn’t see my daughter for four years, and now she is dead. She's only a kid. She had done nothing wrong," she said.
Detectives investigating the murder are now hunting for three people who were known to the girl.
The trio are believed to have left the country on Wednesday, a day before the child was discovered at a house in the quiet village of Horsell, Surrey Police said.
A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday afternoon.
Read more: Murder probe launched after girl, 10, found dead in Surrey house
Last week, there was a heavy police presence at the semi-detached property on Hammond Road and neighbours said a Pakistani family with six "very young" children had moved into the house in April.
Surrey Police, which did not give any further information about the victim or the three people, said officers are still at the address and that no arrests have yet been made.
A statement read: "Detectives have confirmed that no other people were present at the address when they attended in the early hours of Thursday morning (10 August).
"The three people they would like to speak to were known to the victim.
"Formal identification is yet to take place but we understand the child has been named locally.
"No arrests have been made at this time.
"A post-mortem examination is due to take place tomorrow afternoon (15 August).
"Officers remain at the address whilst the investigation continues and further updates will be provided in due course."
Floral tributes were left outside the home by neighbours.
"Thoughts are with you. Devastated for you," one note read.
"Sweet girl. I'm so sorry your sparkle was put out too soon," said another.
