Council visited wrong home before Sara Sharif’s murder

Council Staff Missed Chance to Save 10-Year-Old Sara Sharif After Visiting Wrong Address, Review Reveals

A new safeguarding review has found that council staff attempted to check on 10-year-old Sara Sharif the day before she was murdered by her father and stepmother — but tragically went to the wrong address.

Sara endured two years of horrific abuse, including being hooded, burned, and beaten, before her body was discovered at her family home in Woking, Surrey, in 2023. Her father Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, have since been jailed for life for her murder.

In response to the findings, Surrey County Council issued an apology, saying it was “deeply sorry” and had taken “robust action” to address the failings outlined in the report.

The child safeguarding practice review, released on Thursday, examined how different agencies handled concerns about Sara’s welfare in the lead-up to her death and identified multiple missed opportunities.

It concluded that the “seriousness and significance of [Sharif] as a serial perpetrator of domestic abuse was overlooked,” adding that the couple “should never have been trusted with Sara’s care.”

The report stated bluntly: “The system failed to keep her safe.”

Early Signs of Abuse Ignored

Concerns about Sara’s wellbeing were first raised in June 2022, when bruising was noticed on her body. In March 2023, staff at St Mary’s Primary School in West Byfleet contacted Surrey Children’s Services after seeing three bruises on her face — one “the size of a golf ball.”

Despite these warnings, the service failed to consult Surrey Police, which already held records of Sharif’s history of domestic abuse. Nor did it speak again with the school, where staff had noticed a sharp change in Sara’s demeanor — from “bubbly” to “quiet and withdrawn.”

When questioned, Sharif falsely claimed the marks were from birth-related medical equipment. No further investigation was made.

The review also criticised authorities for not questioning why Sara, at just eight years old, suddenly began wearing a hijab — later revealed to be an attempt to hide her injuries.

Missed Visit Before Her Death

After Sharif withdrew Sara from school to homeschool her, the 10-year-old “effectively disappeared” from public oversight.

In August 2023, council staff tried to carry out a home education visit but went to Sara’s old address due to an outdated system. Though they realised the mistake, they decided to reschedule for September. Sara was killed the next day.

At that time, the review said, Sara was suffering from “unbelievably severe physical injuries.”

It stressed that her death must lead to “a more coherent home-schooling system” to ensure children are not left unprotected.

National Reaction

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called Sara’s death “an appalling tragedy,” acknowledging the “glaring failures and missed opportunities across all agencies.”

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza added: “Change is urgent — we are now more than two years on from Sara’s preventable murder and children are still dying.”

Surrey Police described the case as “one of the most shocking and tragic” in its history, pledging to implement all recommendations from the review.

Manipulation and Systemic Failure

According to the report’s authors — Jane Wonnacott, a former senior social worker, and Dr. Russell Wate, an ex-homicide detective — children’s services missed clear signs of danger and were “over-reliant” on Sharif’s lies.

Sharif was described as having “groomed and manipulated” both professionals and Sara herself, who appeared “loyal to her father.”

Critical case details were also omitted from a report submitted to the Family Court by an inexperienced social worker, leading to another missed chance to remove Sara from her father’s care.

Surrey County Council chief executive Terence Herbert said the authority has made “significant improvements” since then but acknowledged that no single measure could undo what happened.

“We are absolutely determined to keep making improvements that can help keep children safe,” he said.

Sharif was sentenced to at least 40 years in prison, while Batool will serve a minimum of 33 years. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also jailed for 16 years for causing or allowing her death.

Sara, who loved to sing and play guitar and dreamed of appearing on The X Factor, was remembered in the review as a “bright, talented, and affectionate child whose life was stolen too soon.”