A damning review has concluded that murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif was repeatedly failed by a safeguarding system that missed multiple opportunities to save her from the horrific abuse she endured.
Sara was found dead in her bunk-bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023. She had suffered what was described as ‘horrific abuse’ at the hands of her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool.
A Litany of Systemic Failures
The local child safeguarding practice review, published on Thursday 13 November 2025, found that Sara was ‘a victim of domestic abuse from birth onwards’. Despite a great deal of information being available to various authorities, safeguarding professionals were themselves ‘groomed and manipulated’ by her killer father.
The 62-page report stated there were ‘many points at which different action could, and we suggest, should, have been taken’ and that Sara ‘was not protected from abuse and torture’.
Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were jailed for life in December last year, with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years respectively. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death and jailed for 16 years.
Missed Opportunities and Fatal Errors
The review detailed a series of critical failures throughout Sara's short life. She was placed on a child protection plan before she was even born, and Surrey County Council began proceedings to have her taken into care soon after her birth.
In a catastrophic turning point in 2019, after Sharif made false allegations of abuse against Sara's birth mother, Olga, the child was placed in the care of her father and stepmother. The review described the pair as a ‘lethal combination’ who ‘should never have been trusted’.
Text messages revealed that the abuse began soon after Sara moved in with them. Key missed opportunities included:
- A two-day school absence in March 2023, five months before her death, after which she returned with bruising to her face.
- A school referral to social services was closed within days without police involvement.
- Sharif lied to a social worker, falsely claiming Sara's marks were from premature birth machinery.
- In April 2023, Sharif emailed the school to begin home education, a move the review concludes was to ‘keep Sara hidden from view’.
A council worker was sent to the wrong address on August 7, just two days before Sara died on August 9. Had the correct visit occurred, the review states it is ‘likely that the abuse of Sara would have come to light’.
Recommendations for Change
The report made 15 recommendations to prevent future tragedies, calling for:
- Improvements in how referrals to children’s services are dealt with, including better resourcing.
- Updated statutory guidance for home schooling applications involving children previously known to social care.
- A greater focus on the impact of domestic abuse on children.
Surrey County Council said it was ‘deeply sorry’ and has taken ‘robust action’ to address the failings. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the review rightly highlights the ‘glaring failures and missed opportunities’ across all agencies.
The national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel stated that Sara’s memory can be honoured ‘by understanding what happened to her and by redoubling our efforts to protect children’.
