A safeguarding review has revealed that council staff visited the wrong address the day before 10-year-old Sara Sharif was murdered by her father and stepmother in August 2023. The review, commissioned after her death, found that Surrey children's services failed to identify that Sara was at risk of abuse and did not question unexplained bruising.
On 7 August 2023, the council's home education team attempted a home visit but went to the family's old address. The mistake was noticed when staff returned to the office, but a rescheduled visit was not due until September. The review concluded that multiple agencies had failed to grasp the full scale of danger Sara was in, urging services to 'maintain the capacity to think the unthinkable'.
Sara was killed by her father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool after years of escalating brutality that left her with bruises, burns, human bite marks and at least 25 fractures. Both were jailed for life, with Sharif receiving a minimum term of 40 years and Batool 33 years. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, was sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing her death.
The review criticised the 'over-reliance' on Sara's views without proper consideration of how hard it is for children to talk about abuse. It also noted that Sara's father and stepmother 'proved to be a lethal combination' and should never have been trusted with her care. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the report highlighted 'glaring failures and missed opportunities' and vowed to take steps to ensure no child is left invisible to safeguarding services.
