Children pay tribute to murdered Leeds mum Abida Karim who kept silent for years about the domestic abuse she endured at the hands of violent dad Sajid Pervez

The children of Abida Karim paid tribute to their 'hero mum' after their dad Sajid Pervez was jailed for life for her horrific murder their home in Harehills.
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Speaking on behalf of her family, eldest daughter Sawaira Sajid described how Mrs Karim kept her silence for years about being the victim of domestic abuse through her 21-year marriage to Sajid Pervez.

Pervez was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22-and-a-half years for killing Mrs Karim her with a hammer and a knife at their home on Hovingham Terrace, Harehills, in September last year.

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Sawaira, 21, said: “Our mother was the most precious woman who dedicated her whole life to her husband and children.

Abida KarimAbida Karim
Abida Karim

"She was a devoted wife and mother who always put her family first.

“She spent her days worshipping God, cooking amazing food, cleaning up after us, laughing and smiling and, most of all, giving us the best upbringing and love that anyone could have.

"At night, she would tell us stories about her childhood, how much fun she had growing up around her parents and siblings.

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"She told us stories about religion and always gave us motivational talks about our future together."

Sawaira also described how Mrs Karim put up with years of abuse at the hands of her husband as she did not want to break up the family unit.

She said: “She was a giver; she gave to charity and she gave to the community. She left a positive mark on everyone who had the opportunity to be around her.

"In our community, she was known as the woman who always has a beautiful smile on her face.

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“She was married to our father for 21 years and she experienced domestic abuse throughout her whole marriage.

"We tried to help her but she would say, ‘Things will get better and you will always need him as he is your father’.

“She never disclosed what she was going through to the community, her friends or her family as she was holding on to the very little amount of hope she had that things would get better.

“Our mother took pride in her appearance and carried herself as an elegant, sophisticated and powerful woman.

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"On the night of September 23, 2020, we had no clue it would be the last meal our mother would cook for us, the last time we spent with her, the last time we got to see her smile and the last time we got to feel her presence.

“We did not know that we would be going to sleep and waking up with police officers in our home telling us that our mother has been murdered, leaving us absolutely heartbroken and devastated.

“Since that day we have craved her presence and our hearts have been empty. We are grateful for the love we got to experience from her and we have an endless amount of memories to cherish for a lifetime. She taught us all the basic life skills that we will need as well as embedding her morals inside each and every one of us.

“Our mother is a hero to us, she fought for her kids and family till her last breath.

"She will always be the biggest role model in our lives and she will always be remembered as a soft, gentle, generous, loving, caring mother, wife and woman in the community.”