Tragic Sara Sharif ‘should’ve never been in care of dad’ as girl ‘failed at every stage’ | UK | News

Ten-year-old Sara Sharif, murdered by her father and stepmother, was “failed by the protection system” throughout her short life, an investigation that found a series of missed opportunities found. Surrey County Council was forced to apologize after it was revealed the teenager should never have been involved in a “deadly union” with her father and stepmother, according to the latest safeguarding review into Sara’s death.

Mayor Terence Herbert said: “As a local authority we are deeply saddened by the findings in the report that relate to us. We have already taken firm action to address those relevant to Surrey County Council and this work will continue with the full implementation of every recommendation. We will also work with partners across the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership to ensure a joint action plan is implemented as quickly as possible.

“In recent years services for children in Surrey have changed from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’ and we are absolutely committed to continuing to make improvements that can help keep children safe.”

The primary school girl was killed in August 2023 after being subjected to what was described as “torture” during a violent series of abuse that left the 10-year-old covered in fractures, bruises and burns.

Sara’s body was found in the bunk bed in the family’s home after her father, Urfan Sharif, called from Pakistan and confessed to “beating” and “killing” his little daughter.

When officers began searching the house, they found a cricket bat, a metal pole and a burning hot iron had been used to inflict pain on the schoolgirl.

Sara was on the radar of social services in Surrey. In the years before his death, he was taken from his biological family twice and placed in foster care.

She was also caught in the middle of a custody battle between her mother and father, and both accused each other of abuse.

Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, who fled in Pakistan, were arrested by the authorities and sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder in court; They were sentenced to at least 40 years and 33 years in prison respectively.

Her uncle, Faisal Malik, was convicted of causing or allowing her death and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Council leader Tim Oliver said the situation was “appalling and incredibly sad”.

He added: “I’m sure everyone involved in this family has thought about what more could have been done to protect Sara and my thoughts and condolences are with everyone affected.

“The independent and detailed review makes a range of recommendations for both the national government and local partners, and it is now vital that every person in every organization dealing with child safety reads this report and understands the lessons learned.

“I am deeply saddened by the findings of the report, which are of concern to us as a local authority. We will now act on these findings and, in line with the recommendations, will continue to review and strengthen our culture, systems and processes, which are designed to support good practice in working with children and families.”

The new safeguarding report “highlights glaring failures and missed opportunities,” according to Education Minister Bridget Phillipson.

He said: “Sara Sharif’s death was a terrible tragedy that could and should have been prevented.

“The review accurately highlights the glaring failures and missed opportunities across all institutions that led to Sara’s death, and we will take every step to ensure no child remains invisible to the services that will keep them safe.”

Local Woking MP Will Forster said Sara Sharif had been failed by the state “at every stage”.

He added: “All the warning signs were there but no action was taken. The authorities were fully aware that Sara was at risk. She was placed in the child protection plan before she was born and has been the victim of domestic abuse from that day.”

“It is now painfully clear that Sara’s killers exploited loopholes in the homeschooling system to hide their abuse. Legislation is urgently needed to prevent this from happening again.”

England’s children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said there was “a catalog of missed opportunities, poor communication and ill-informed assumptions” and that a case like Sara’s “must never happen again”.

He added: “Sara was available to the professionals tasked with protecting her, but every part of the system lacked the curiosity to pull her together or ask the tough questions, relying on the easy lies of her father and stepmother, at whose hands she died.”

“Change is urgent; more than two years after Sara’s preventable murder and children are still dying.”