Council visited wrong home before Sara Sharif's murder

According to a report, council workers tried to check on 10-year-old Sara Sharif the day before she was killed by her father and stepmother but went to the wrong address.

Sara suffered extensive abuse before her body was discovered in August 2023 at the family's house in Woking, Surrey. Her father, Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

Surrey County Council said it "deeply regretted" the findings in the study.

Warning: This story contains distressing details.

The authority said it had taken "robust action" in response to the findings and that it would continue to implement every recommendation in full.

'The System Failed to Keep Her Safe'

The child safeguarding report, released on Thursday, looked at how agencies collaborated in the lead-up to Sara's murder and what lessons could be learned.

According to the report, "the seriousness and import of [Sharif] as a serial perpetrator of domestic violence was ignored." It said Sara's father and stepmother were a "lethal combination," adding: "With hindsight, they should never have been trusted with Sara's care."

The report found there were "clearly many points in Sara's life... in which different action may have and should have been taken" by the authorities. "The system failed to keep her safe," it said.

During the period of abuse, Sara was hooded and beaten. A post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered dozens of injuries, including human bite marks, an iron burn, and scalding from hot water. The investigation was commissioned by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership, which is made up of police, local health bodies, and the council's children's services.

'Fear of Causing Offence'

The report details how bruising was first noted on Sara in June 2022. Staff at St Mary's Primary School in West Byfleet contacted Surrey Children's Services after discovering three bruises on her face, one the size of a "golf ball."

The referral was deemed "amber," meaning no action was required within 24 hours. The report found that Surrey Children's Services did not conduct checks with Surrey Police, which was aware of Sharif's history of domestic violence. It also did not consult the school, which had noticed Sara change from being "bubbly" to "quiet and coy"—pulling her hijab down over her face.

Despite it being "highly unusual for such a young child," the investigation found Sara started wearing a hijab at age eight. It was later discovered she wore it to mask her bruises. An occupational therapist who visited was "reticent" to talk about the hijab for "fear of causing offence."

Neighbours also told the study they had been reluctant to voice concerns because they "feared being branded as racist, especially on social media." The study found that "race was a barrier to reporting suspected child abuse" and that professionals "never investigated how [her Pakistani roots] affected Sara."

The Failed Visit

Sara was later removed from school to be home-schooled. From this point, the report says, she "effectively disappeared."

Sara's new Woking address was given to the council, but the system was not updated. When the home education team decided to visit on 7 August 2023, they went to her old address. According to the report, staff learned of the error back at the office but decided to reschedule the visit for September.

Sara was killed the following day. The report notes that Sara would have been suffering from "unbelievable physical injuries" at the time of the failed visit.

"It's important that Sara's legacy is a more cohesive home-schooling system, with appropriate safeguards for all children," the report said.

'Glaring Inconsistencies'

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Sara's death was "an appalling tragedy." "The report rightly emphasizes the glaring inconsistencies and missed opportunities across all agencies," she said.

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said the report "rightly acknowledges our collective outrage." "Change is critical," she said. "Sara's murder was preventable, and children are still dying."

Assistant Chief Constable Tanya Jones of Surrey Police said: "Sara died at the hands of those who should have shown her only love. No child should ever have to suffer what Sara did."

The report's authors said the lack of inquiries from children's services to the police was "surprising" and that the June 2022 referral was a "chance to find" her abuse. They found there was an "over-dependence" on Sharif's account, noting he had "groomed and manipulated" professionals, as well as Sara herself, who "almost always" appeared loyal to her father.

Woking MP Will Forster has requested that the council's children's services be placed into "special measures."

The investigation found that Sara had been involved with children's services and the Family Court since she was born. She was almost taken into care twice, but the court refused to allow it. Critical information about children's services' extensive involvement was not included in a report submitted to a judge by an inexperienced social worker during a later custody dispute.

Sharif and Batool were found guilty of Sara's murder at the Old Bailey. Sharif was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison, while Batool received a minimum of 33 years. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, was also sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing her death.