A recent review has revealed that Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old girl who was murdered by her father, was repeatedly failed by the safeguarding system. The report highlights a series of missed opportunities by various authorities, including social workers, police, and health professionals, to protect her from ongoing abuse.

Sara was found dead in her home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023, with over 70 external injuries, including multiple fractures and burns. Her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, fled to Pakistan after the incident. Both were convicted of her murder last year, while Sharif's brother, Faisal Malik, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death.

The review indicates that a council worker visited an old address just two days before Sara's death. It states that had proper policies regarding home education visits been followed, the abuse she suffered might have been uncovered. The report asserts that the refusal of her father to cooperate should have raised a safeguarding alert.

Sara endured a horrific childhood filled with beatings and abuse, which lasted for at least two years. Despite numerous warnings about Sharif's violent behaviour, authorities repeatedly returned Sara to her parents after brief periods in care. The report noted that the seriousness of Sharif's history of domestic abuse was consistently overlooked by professionals involved with the family.

The review described how Sharif manipulated those around him, stating, "His capacity to groom others included his family and any professionals he encountered." It concluded that there were many points at which action could have been taken to protect Sara, who was described as a "beautiful little girl, full of personality with a lovely smile."

The report emphasised that Sara was a victim of domestic abuse from birth and that her reality was one of normalised daily abuse. It pointed out that the knowledge of how difficult it is for children to disclose abuse did not inform decisions about her living situation.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has stated that the findings of the review are deeply concerning and that lessons must be learned to prevent such tragedies in the future. The report serves as a stark reminder of the failures within the safeguarding system that allowed Sara's abuse to continue unchecked until it was too late.