The incident occurred in his cell on New Year's Day when two inmates at the HMP Belmarsh in South London ambushed Sharif. The attackers were allegedly furious about the crimes Sharif, 43, committed against his daughter. He was found guilty of torturing Sara Sharif, 10, to death, where she sustained at least 25 fractures and 71 injuries during the fatal beating, court documents show.
The attack occurred at the family's home in Woking, Surrey. Authorities discovered Sara's dead body in her bed in August 2023. Urfan was jailed along with Sara's stepmom Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle Faisal Malik, 29, all of whom were found guilty of child abuse.
"Urfan was sliced up badly in his cell by two others who rushed in. It was planned and they used a makeshift weapon - made from the lid of a tin of tuna," a source familiar with the matter told the Sun. "He was sliced in the neck and face and is still in healthcare in a very bad way. He was lucky to survive, has had to have stitches, and will have scars as a permanent reminder of the attack. The guards tried to keep him safe because he obviously had a target on his back after the case was such big news."
Sharif reportedly attempted to conceal his identity while in prison by keeping his head down, but inmates quickly discovered who he was.
"Inmates were not happy he is in there with them, and although the other prisoners are in for heinous crimes, a lot of them don't like people who attack children," the source said. "A lot of them are saying how it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy."
Court documents show that Sara Sharif was beaten for several years and was forced to wear a hijab and an Islamic dress to cover up her scars. This, despite no other female siblings being ordered to wear Islamic dresses.
Sara's birth mother, Olga Domin, 38, had filed to keep her daughter away from Sharif but lost the court battle. Prosecutors said that Urfan exploited EU rules to stay in the UK.
Police are investigating the assault and have not yet released information.
