Services in Surrey failed to identify that Sara Sharif was at risk of abuse, did not question unexplained bruising, and staff members visited the wrong address the day before her murder, a safeguarding review has found.
Sara, 10, was killed by her father, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, in August 2023 after years of escalating brutality that left her with bruises, burns, human bite marks and at least 25 fractures.
She was found dead in a bunk bed at the family home after her father fled to Pakistan, leaving a handwritten note saying he had “lost it”.
A child safeguarding practice review, commissioned after Sara’s murder, revealed that on 7 August, the day before Sara was killed, the council’s home education team attempted to carry out a home visit but went to the family’s old address.
The mistake was spotted when staff returned to the office, but a rescheduled visit wasn’t due to take place until September.
The review concluded that multiple agencies “at many points of her life” had failed to grasp the full scale of danger she was in and it urged services to “maintain the capacity to ‘think the unthinkable’”.
Sharif and Batool were later jailed for life, with Sharif receiving a minimum term of 40 years and Batool a minimum of 33 years. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, who was living in the house at the time, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Urfan Sharif (left) and Beinash Batool. Photograph: Surrey Police/PA
It found that the “seriousness and significance of [her] father as a serial perpetrator of domestic abuse was overlooked, not acted on and underestimated by almost all professionals” involved in her case.
Surrey children’s services “did not identify that Sara was at risk of being abused” or respond to unexplained bruising and her changed demeanour.
“Sara’s situation was not one where information has only come together with the benefit of hindsight,” the review said. “A great deal of information, especially about the risks posed to her by her father, was available but opportunities were lost to join up all the dots.”
It added: “Sara’s father and stepmother proved to be a lethal combination, and with hindsight it is clear that they should never have been trusted with the care of Sara.”
The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said Sara’s death “was an appalling tragedy that could – and should – have been avoided”.
“The review rightly highlights the glaring failures and missed opportunities across all agencies which led to Sara’s death – we will take every step to help make sure that no child is left invisible to the services that are there to keep them safe.”
Sara was immediately placed on a child protection plan at her birth in 2013 owing to existing concerns about her parents and abuse towards her siblings.
She was briefly placed in foster care in 2014 and later a refuge after her biological mother, Olga Domin, accused Sharif of domestic abuse.
After a family court ruling in October 2019, Sara returned to live with her father and stepmother, and she was withdrawn from school in 2023, after which she “disappeared from view” until her body was discovered on 9 August.
The review criticised legislation which meant there was “no requirement for a formal discussion between parents and professionals” about her being homeschooled, despite her previous contact with social services.
It also said there was an “over-reliance” on Sara’s views without proper consideration of how hard it is for children to talk about abuse.
Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother sentenced to life in prison – video
At no time during her life did Sara reveal the abuse she was suffering and she outwardly appeared “cheerful and loyal” to her father who “groomed and manipulated her”, as well as the professionals supposed to help her.
The review said that when Sara started wearing a hijab at school, aged eight, the school accepted the explanation given by the child and her stepmother, but expert advice suggested it would be “highly unusual” for a young child to wear the hijab without family members or peers doing the same.
“This confirms the need for easy access to advice for all practitioners who may lack knowledge about the impact of race/culture/religion on children,” the review said.
It also criticised Domin’s lack of access to an interpreter during the legal proceedings, which led to Sara being placed in her father’s care, meaning that her biological mother’s voice was “lost”.
Tim Oliver, the Conservative leader of Surrey county council, said: “This horrific and incredibly sad situation was the direct result of adults murdering an innocent child they should have looked after and cared for.
“I am certain that everyone involved with this family will have reflected on what more could have been done to protect Sara. I am deeply sorry for the findings in the report that relate to us as a local authority.
“We will now act on those findings and continue to review and strengthen our culture, systems and processes designed to support good practice in working with children and families. Many of the recommendations have already been implemented locally, and I call on the government to review the findings and, where appropriate, legislate for the changes in the national system that it calls for.”
In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helpline International
