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June 22, 2025 14 mins
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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The tragic and unsettling murder of
two-year-old Sanam Navsarka sentshockwaves throughout the
United Kingdom, leaving acommunity in grief and a nation
questioning how such a younglife could be so brutally taken.
Born on Christmas Eve in 2005,sanam was a little girl full of
promise, living a life that anychild would hope to enjoy,
surrounded by family love andcare.

(00:21):
Yet the circumstances leadingto her untimely death would
reveal a darker side of domesticlife and highlight issues that
resonate deeply with societyChild protection, domestic abuse
and the failures that sometimesallow tragedy to unfold behind
closed doors.
Thank you.

(01:11):
Sanam Navsarka's life began onDecember 24th 2005, a day filled
with festive joy and the hopethat a child's birth often
brings.
Born into a family residing inDayton, a suburb of Huddersfield
, west Yorkshire, sanam livedwith her mother, zobina Zaman,
and later with Zobina'sboyfriend, subhan Anwar.
Zobina, a young woman herself,faced the complexities of

(01:33):
raising a child in anenvironment marked by
instability and challenges.
The arrival of Subhan Anwar,who had been with Zobina for
just three months at the time ofthe tragedy, introduced a new
dynamic into the household, onethat would have profound and
ultimately devastatingconsequences.
Dayton is a diverse and vibrantcommunity with a rich cultural
tapestry, home to many familiesof different backgrounds.

(01:55):
Like many working-classneighborhoods in the north of
England, it struggles withsocioeconomic pressures, but it
is also a place where communityties are strong and neighbors
often look out for one another.
However, the issue of domesticviolence and child abuse is not
confined by geography, cultureor class, and the events that
led to Sanem's death revealedthe hidden dangers lurking

(02:17):
behind the walls of evenseemingly ordinary households.
Zabin's relationship with SabinAnwar was relatively brief,
having lasted only about threemonths before the tragic events
unfolded.
What is known from theinvestigation is that Sabin
Anwar became a central figure inthe household very quickly, and
with him came a pattern ofabusive behavior.
The nature of this relationship, its beginnings and the

(02:40):
dynamics within the householdare critical to understanding
the circumstances surroundingSanam's death.
Reports suggest that theenvironment was tense and
volatile, with Subban displayingsigns of aggression and control
that would soon escalate toviolence.
On the day that would becomeetched in the memory of those
who followed the case, the youngtoddler, sanam Navsarka,
suffered fatal injuries.

(03:01):
The details of what happenedinside the home remain chilling,
a reminder of how vulnerablechildren are when exposed to
domestic abuse and neglect.
According to court proceedingsand police investigations, the
injuries inflicted upon Sanamwere severe and consistent with
prolonged abuse rather than asingle incident.
The extent of her sufferingraised urgent questions about

(03:21):
how long the abuse had beenongoing and whether there were
missed opportunities forintervention.
The investigation into themurder of two-year-old Sanam
Navsarka was one of the mostharrowing in the history of West
Yorkshire Police.
From the moment emergencyservices were called to the home
in Huddersfield in May 2008, itbecame clear that this was not
a case of natural causes or atragic accident.

(03:42):
The circumstances surroundingSanam's injuries were deeply
suspicious and as detectivesbegan to unravel the events
leading up to her death, theyuncovered a deeply disturbing
picture of sustained abuse,cruelty and neglect.
Emergency services were calledon May 19, 2008, to the home of
Zabina Zamin and Subhan Anwar inDayton, huddersfield.

(04:03):
Sanam was found unresponsiveand later declared dead at the
hospital.
Her body was covered in bruisesand there were clear signs of
trauma.
The initial report made by theadults in the household claimed
that Sanam had fallen and becomeunwell, but medical staff and
police officers were immediatelysuspicious.
The paramedics who respondedwere disturbed by the child's

(04:24):
condition.
Sanem was emaciated, hadmultiple injuries in various
stages of healing and wasclearly the victim of long-term
abuse.
Given the extensive injuriesvisible on her small body, the
authorities quickly treated herdeath as suspicious and a full
murder investigation waslaunched.
A post-mortem examinationconducted by a forensic

(04:44):
pathologist painted a horrifyingpicture of Sanam's final weeks.
The findings were nothing shortof heartbreaking.
She had suffered 107 separateinjuries, including fractures to
all four limbs, some up to twoweeks old.
Multiple rib fractures, severeinternal bruisinguts, burns and
bruises to her head, chest, backand legs Clear evidence of

(05:07):
being struck, gripped andtwisted repeatedly.
The injuries to her legs wereparticularly alarming.
Her femurs had been broken withsuch force that experts
compared the breaks to thoseseen in high-speed car crashes
or major falls.
Yet there was no record of anyhospital visit or attempt by the
adults in her life to seekmedical attention.
One of the most chillingaspects of the investigation was

(05:29):
the discovery that Sanum hadbeen confined in a cupboard
during the final days of herlife.
Investigators found herfingerprints inside a cupboard
at the house, suggesting she hadbeen locked inside alone and in
pain.
Timeline reconstruction andpattern of abuse.
Police began the painstakingtask of reconstructing the
timeline of Sanem's final daysand weeks.
Neighbors and family memberswere interviewed, and phone

(05:53):
records, texts and internetsearches from Zamin and Anwar
were examined, a pattern ofincreasing isolation and abuse
emerged.
Investigators concluded thatthe abuse had begun shortly
after Sabhan Anwar moved in withZawina Zaman.
He quickly took control of thehousehold and started punishing
Sanam for minor infractions orfor being naughty.
What began as physicaldiscipline spiraled into

(06:16):
sustained and extreme abuse.
Sanam was eventually removedfrom her bedroom and kept in a
cupboard in a small storage areahidden away.
When visitors arrived, hercries were muffled or ignored.
The last days of her life weremarked by severe neglect,
starvation and untreatedinjuries.
Evidence suggested she had beenkept from walking to hide her
leg injuries and was rarely fedor allowed outside.

(06:39):
Following the autopsy, bothZalbina Zamin and Subhan Anwar
were arrested on suspicion ofmurder.
During questioning, theirstories were inconsistent.
Initially, zamin claimed thatSanam had fallen from a bed and
injured herself and that shehadn't realized how serious it
was.
Anwar, meanwhile, distancedhimself from the direct cause of
death but made vague statementsblaming Zamin.

(07:02):
Their mutual blame and lack ofremorse during interviews
frustrated investigators.
What became clear, however, wasthat Zamin had enabled the
abuse by failing to protect herdaughter and even participating
in the neglect, while Anwar hadorchestrated and carried out the
worst physical violence.
Zamin admitted to not seekingmedical help for the broken
limbs.
She admitted knowing Sanam wasinjured and in pain, but feared

(07:26):
Anwar's reaction.
Police discovered that she hadsearched online for advice on
dealing with broken bones buthad chosen to treat the child at
home, likely under coercion orpressure.
Police also recovered damningdigital evidence, including text
messages between Zamin andAnwar, some of which reference
punishment or control of Sanam.
Search history suggesting anawareness of the injuries Sanam

(07:49):
had suffered, lack ofphotographs or social activity
involving Sanam in the finalweeks of her life, indicating
her increasing isolation.
Neighbors told police theyheard crying, sometimes for long
periods, and noticed Sanam hadstopped being seen outside.
One witness noted that Zaminhad begun telling people her
daughter was sleeping if anyoneasked to see her.

(08:10):
A particularly heartbreakingpiece of evidence was the state
of the home.
While Anwar and Zamin lived inrelative comfort, sanam's area
was stark, unclean and hidden,her toys were unused and she had
few clothes.
This highlighted how she hadbeen dehumanized in her own home
, treated not as a beloved childbut as a burden or nuisance.
As the evidence mounted, theCrown Prosecution Service, cps,

(08:33):
charged Savin Anwar with murderand Zabina Zamin with causing or
allowing the death of a child.
The CPS emphasized that Zamin'sfailure to act, even as her
daughter suffered horrific abuse, made her criminally
responsible under the law.
The prosecution prepared apainstakingly detailed case,
with medical experts,psychologists and child
protection professionals allcontributing.

(08:55):
The evidence was overwhelmingSanum had been beaten, tortured
and ignored to death.
At trial, the jury was shownphotographs of Sanam's injuries
with discretion forensicdiagrams, and heard emotional
testimony from social workersand medical staff.
Sobhan Anwar was charged withthe murder of Sanam Navsarka and
the case went to trial,capturing public attention due

(09:17):
to the heartbreaking nature ofthe crime and the age of the
victim.
During the trial, theprosecution presented compelling
evidence of the abuse thatSanum suffered, highlighting the
severity and the duration ofthe harm inflicted.
The defense attempted tochallenge certain aspects of the
case, but the overwhelmingevidence led to a conviction.
The judge addressing the courtemphasized the brutality of the

(09:40):
crime and the lasting impact ithad on the community and the
family.
The sentence handed downreflected the brutality of the
crime and the lasting impact ithad on the community and the
family.
The sentence handed downreflected the seriousness of the
offense and the need to send aclear message about protecting
the most vulnerable.
In February 29, the court foundSabhan Anwar guilty of murder
and sentenced him to a minimumof 23 years in prison.
Zabana Zaman was found guiltyof allowing the death of her

(10:02):
child and was sentenced to nineyears in prison.
The judge described the case asone of almost unimaginable
cruelty and condemned bothdefendants for their inhumanity.
He acknowledged the pain causedto the wider community and
emphasized the need for strongerprotections for children at
risk.
Subhan Anwar, convicted in 2009for the brutal murder of his

(10:22):
partner's two-year-old daughter,sanam Navsarka, died in prison
on February 14, 2013.
He was found dead in his cellat HMP Long Larton, a
high-security prison inWorcestershire.
Anwar had been serving aminimum 23-year sentence for the
torture and murder of Sanam,who suffered 107 injuries during
a month-long ordeal.
Two fellow inmates, gary DavidSmith, 47, and Lee William

(10:47):
Newell, 44, were arrested onsuspicion of murder.
They later appeared in courtcharged with Anwar's killing.
The incident occurred whenAnwar was allegedly held hostage
in his cell before being killed.
The motive behind the murderwas not explicitly stated by the
perpetrators.
However, the prison has a knownmoral code among inmates that

(11:09):
targets those convicted ofoffenses against children.
This code often leads to verbaland physical abuse and, in some
cases, death.
Anwar's family expressed shock,stating he had been a model
prisoner and had consideredSmith and Newell as friends.
In the aftermath of her death,efforts were made to honor
Sanam's memory and advocate forchange.
Memorials and vigils were heldby the community, and some local

(11:30):
organizations established fundsor initiatives in her name
aimed at supporting vulnerablechildren and families.
These acts of remembrance serveboth as a tribute to Sanam and
a call to action, ensuring thather tragic death is not
forgotten and that steps aretaken to prevent similar losses
in the future.
The disturbing murder oftwo-year-old Sanam Navsarkar
remains one of the mostharrowing child abuse cases in

(11:53):
recent British history.
It is a stark reminder of thefragility of childhood and the
critical importance of vigilance, intervention and compassion in
protecting the youngest membersof society.
Sanam's story challenges all ofus families, communities,
professionals and policymakersto do better, to listen more
closely and to act decisivelywhen children are at risk.

(12:13):
While no words can undo thepain of such a loss, the hope is
that from tragedy can comegreater awareness and stronger
protections for childreneverywhere.
From tragedy can come greaterawareness and stronger
protections for childreneverywhere.
The tragic story of SanamNavsarka is a painful and
sobering example of how abuseand neglect can destroy innocent
lives.
Born on Christmas Eve in 2005,sanam's brief life was filled

(12:34):
with unimaginable suffering atthe hands of those who were
meant to care for her.
Her death was not a momentaryaccident, but the result of
sustained, horrific abuse thatwent unnoticed, unreported and
unchallenged until it was fartoo late.
Sanum's case forces us toconfront some uncomfortable
truths about child protection,domestic violence and the
systems designed to safeguardthe vulnerable.

(12:55):
It reveals the gaps incommunication, the missed
warning signs and the oftenhidden nature of cruelty that
can exist behind closed doors.
It also reminds us of theenormous responsibility that
falls on communities, socialservices and individuals to
listen closely, to interveneearly and to never turn a blind
eye.
This episode of Human Wreckageis not just about the pain and

(13:17):
horror.
It's about awareness andprevention.
By sharing Sanem's story, wehope to shine a light on the
warning signs of abuse and theurgent need for collective
vigilance.
Every one of us has a role toplay, whether as a neighbor,
teacher, health professional orfriend.
Speaking up, reporting concernsand supporting families under
stress can be the differencebetween life and death for a

(13:39):
child.
As we close, let's carrySanum's memory with us, not as a
symbol of despair, but as acall to action.
No child should suffer insilence and no family should be
left unsupported.
Together we can work towards afuture where children are safe,
nurtured and free from harm.
Thank you for listening toHuman Wreckage.
Stay vigilant, staycompassionate and never hesitate

(14:02):
to act.
Thank you.
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