Murdered Sara Sharif failed by system that missed opportunities to save her

Ten-year-old Sara Sharif was murdered after a series of failures by the safeguarding system, which repeatedly missed opportunities to protect her from her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool. A review found that professionals were manipulated by Urfan Sharif and that the seriousness of his domestic abuse was underestimated. Sara suffered abuse from birth and was placed on a child protection plan before she was born. Despite concerns, she was placed with her father and stepmother in 2019, a decision described as putting her with a "lethal combination" who should never have been trusted. During her short life, Sara experienced day-to-day abuse that became normalized to her. Evidence suggests her father began assaulting her soon after she moved in with him. A two-day school absence in March 2023, five months before her death, saw her return quiet with bruising, yet a social services referral was closed within days without police involvement. Urfan Sharif lied to a social worker about the cause of the bruising, claiming it was due to premature birth complications. He later emailed the school stating his intention to educate Sara at home, which the review concluded was a move to hide her from view in her final weeks. Further safeguarding failures occurred in the weeks leading up to Sara's death. Delays in correspondence and an incorrect address on a digital system meant a council worker visited the wrong location just two days before she was found dead on August 9, 2023. The review highlights that had standard procedures for home education been followed, including a timely home visit, the abuse would likely have come to light, or her father's lack of cooperation would have raised a safeguarding alert. The review stated that Sara's voice was not heard, and the risks she faced were not adequately recognized by children's services, police, health, and educ... download the app to read more