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A recent review has revealed that council staff attempting to check on Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old girl, the day before her death tragically went to the wrong address. Sara had endured two years of abuse prior to her body being found at her family home in Woking, Surrey, last year. Her father, Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. Surrey County Council expressed deep regret over the review’s findings and stated that it had initiated robust actions to address the issues identified.
The child safeguarding practice review, published by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership, evaluated how different organisations collaborated leading up to Sara’s death. The report highlighted that Sara’s father and stepmother, posing as a dangerous combination, should never have been entrusted with her care. It found critical failures within the system, pointing out missed opportunities at several points, especially in the months immediately preceding her death. The review also criticised the failure to sufficiently investigate why Sara began wearing a hijab at such a young age—a decision later understood to be an attempt by her to conceal injuries sustained from abuse.
Detailed findings from the review described the severity of the abuse inflicted on Sara, including burn marks, bruising, and human bite wounds, with a post-mortem revealing numerous physical injuries. Despite signs such as bruising noticed in June 2022 and three significant bruises identified by school staff in March 2023, actions by Surrey Children’s Services fell short. They did not coordinate properly with Surrey Police or the school, and the father misled social workers about the cause of Sara’s injuries. Additionally, the reluctance of professionals and neighbours to raise concerns—stemming from fears of being accused of racism, particularly around Sara’s Pakistani heritage—was highlighted as a serious barrier to safeguarding her.
A key error involved the failure to update Sara’s home-schooling records, which led to council workers visiting the wrong address just a day before her death. This blunder meant no follow-up visit could be made during a critical period when Sara reportedly had severe injuries. Various officials, including Surrey Police and education leaders, condemned the failures, describing the case as profoundly tragic. Surrey County Council’s chief executive acknowledged recent improvements in children’s services but reaffirmed the commitment to continue making necessary changes. Meanwhile, political figures have called for stringent accountability measures to prevent such a tragedy from recurring
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