The devastated mother of a 10-year-old whose death has sparked a murder investigation in Surrey has paid tribute to the “amazing” girl.
The child, who has been named as Sara Sharif, was found alone in the early hours of Thursday morning when police arrived at an address in Horsell village near Woking.
Surrey Police are trying to find three identified people who were known to Sara although it is believed the trio have left the country.
Locals left flowers outside a property on Hammond Road in Horsell, Surrey, where a 10-year-old girl was found dead— (PA Wire)
Sara’s mother Olga Sharif said she did not have custody of her daughter and learned of her death from a phone call with officers.
“My life will never be the same again. Sara should be with me right now. She was too young. Sara was an amazing child,” she told The Sun.
Mrs Sharif added that she had only seen Sara and her 13-year-old son, Sara’s brother, two times in four years after losing a custody battle in 2019.
Mrs Sharif said she wants to move back to her native Poland and bury her daughter there.
She said she bonded with Sara over a shared love of Frozen and Disney films.
“She would walk in and say, ‘Mum, look how pretty I look’,” she told The Sun.
“She would tell me that ‘I want to be like Mummy’. She was like a younger version of me - but much prettier than her mum.”
Surrey Police have said they believe the three people they wish to speak to left the country last Wednesday, one day before the child was discovered at the house.
A well wisher leaves flowers outside a property on Hammond Road in Woking— (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
A police spokesman said: “Inquiries are ongoing to locate the three identified people we would like to speak to in connection with our investigation into the death of a 10-year-old girl in Woking.
“Detectives have confirmed that no other people were present at the address when they attended in the early hours of Thursday morning.
“The three people they would like to speak to were known to the victim.”
A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday afternoon.
Last week, there was a heavy police presence at the semi-detached property on Hammond Road and neighbours said that 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.
Sara’s father has been named by The Sun as Ufran Sharif, a taxi driver who lived in Horsell with his new wife and children.
