A safeguarding review has found that Surrey services failed to identify that 10-year-old Sara Sharif was at risk of abuse, did not question unexplained bruising, and council staff visited the wrong address the day before her murder in August 2023. 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.
The child safeguarding practice review revealed that on 7 August, the day before Sara was killed, the council’s home education team attempted 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 was not due 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 urged services to “maintain the capacity to ‘think the unthinkable’”.
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. The review said: “Sara’s situation was not one where information has only come together with the benefit of hindsight. 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.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Sara’s death “was an appalling tragedy that could – and should – have been avoided”. She added: “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.”
The review also criticised legislation that 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 noted an “over-reliance” on Sara’s views without proper consideration of how hard it is for children to talk about abuse. At no time did Sara reveal the abuse she was suffering, and she outwardly appeared “cheerful and loyal” to her father, who “groomed and manipulated her”.
