Review Finds Agencies Failed to Protect Sara Sharif

A safeguarding review has concluded that 10-year-old Sara Sharif was failed by multiple agencies throughout her life, allowing horrific abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother to go unchecked until her death in August 2023. The girl was found unresponsive in a bunk bed at the family home in Woking, Surrey, on August 9, having suffered severe injuries including broken bones, burns, and bite marks, according to details from her trial.

Urfan Sharif, Sara's father, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in December, 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 received a 16-year sentence. The court heard evidence of prolonged torture, with text messages recovered during the investigation showing assaults began soon after Sara was placed in her father's care in 2019.

The 62-page local child safeguarding practice review, published by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership, examined involvement from police, health services, social care, and education. It found Sara had been a victim of domestic abuse from birth, with her...