Surrey services failed to act on warning signs before Sara Sharif’s murder, finds review

Children’s services did not identify Sara, 10, was at risk of abuse, did not question bruising and overlooked father’s previous violence

Services failed to identify Sara Sharif was at risk of abuse, did not question unexplained bruising and almost all professionals overlooked her father’s violence before her murder, a safeguarding review has found.

Sara, 10, was killed by her father, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, in August 2023 after years of escalating brutality which left her with bruises, burns, human bite marks and at least 25 fractures.