Court upholds jail terms for relatives of slain UK-Pakistani girl

A UK court upheld lengthy prison terms handed to the father and stepmother of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl who was killed after suffering years of torture and abuse.

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The trial of Urfan Sharif and his wife Beinash Batool caused waves of revulsion in the UK at the horrific way they had treated Sara Sharif.

There was anger too at how the bright, bubbly youngster had been failed by the authorities supposed to be in charge of her care.

Sharif, 43, Batool, 30, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, all lost bids to appeal against their sentences.

The court also refused a plea by the solicitor general's office to impose a stiffer whole-life sentence on Sharif.

Sara's father was sentenced in December to 40 years in prison for her murder, while her stepmother was ordered to remain in jail for at least 33 years.