A devastating report has concluded that the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif was entirely preventable, revealing a catalogue of missed opportunities by safeguarding services that could have saved her life. Surrey County Council has issued a profound apology for its failings in the case.
The Horrific Final Days
In her final tortured days, Sara Sharif was forced to wear a hijab to conceal extensive bruising and injuries to her face and head while being subjected to unimaginable cruelty. The once bubbly schoolgirl who loved dancing and fairytales endured what prosecutors described as a brutal campaign of abuse that left her with injuries comparable to being kicked by a horse.
On August 10, 2023, police discovered Sara's body alone in her family home in Woking after receiving a phone call from her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, who initially confessed to killing his daughter. Officers found Sara beneath a blanket on her bunk bed alongside a note in which Sharif claimed responsibility for her death.
Systemic Failures and Missed Opportunities
The serious case review identified 15 separate warnings about Sara's welfare that were either ignored or inadequately investigated. In March 2023, Sara's school raised concerns with Surrey Children's Services after she arrived with facial bruising and displayed a significant change in her normally positive demeanour.
The report found that expected robust safeguarding processes were not followed, with professionals failing to adequately triangulate information or respond to the presence of bruising alongside inconsistent explanations. Crucially, Sara's changed behaviour wasn't recognised as a potential sign of abuse.
Just two days before Sara was killed, a council worker visited an old address rather than her current home. Had proper home education visit policies been followed, the abuse would likely have been discovered.
Extent of Injuries and Concealment
Medical examination revealed Sara had sustained an awful constellation of injuries including 10 fractures to her spine, breaks to her right collarbone, two ribs, both shoulder blades, arms, hands and three fingers. She had fractures in 25 areas throughout her body and one extremely rare neck injury never before seen by a radiologist on a child.
Doctors also discovered five bite marks on her left arm, one on her inner thigh, and a 6cm by 5cm untreated burn mark from an iron on her buttocks. Some injuries were fresh and just ten days old when she was found.
In April 2023, Sharif removed Sara from school, claiming she was being bullied because of her hijab and would be homeschooled. In reality, this was a calculated move to conceal her injuries from authorities.
Justice and Accountability
Urfan Sharif and his partner Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of Sara's murder last December, while her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing her death. All three had fled to Pakistan after Sara's death but were arrested on September 13, 2023, upon returning to the UK at Gatwick Airport.
England's Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, described Sara's murder as preventable, stating it occurred after a catalogue of missed opportunities, poor communication and ill-informed assumptions. She emphasised that fragmented children's services need desperate reform with proper professional accountability.
Surrey County Council has expressed being deeply sorry for the failings in Sara's case, acknowledging that more should have been done to protect the vulnerable schoolgirl whose life was cut short by those who should have cared for her most.
