An independent Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review published on 13 November by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership concludes that the system did not keep 10-year-old Sara Sharif safe, identifying several points where different action could and should have been taken. The review follows the conclusion of criminal proceedings in December 2024 and makes fifteen recommendations to local and national bodies.
Sara was murdered in Woking in August 2023 by her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool. Both were convicted of murder and received life sentences in December 2024; her uncle, Faisal Malik, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and sentenced to 16 years.
The review finds that the seriousness of Mr Sharif’s serial domestic abuse was underestimated by professionals across agencies. It records that the pattern of abuse was “overlooked, not acted on and underestimated” by almost all involved services.
Family court decision-making features prominently. Social workers initially sought removal from parental care, but practitioners told reviewers their views were not always heard, with the children’s guardian’s opinion often carrying greater weight in court. The report recommends that where Cafcass and the local authority disagree, judges should receive a concise summary of the divergence and the reasons.
When Mr Sharif remarried and applied for a child arrangements order, an inexperienced social worker prepared the Section 7 report. The review states that vital information and analysis were missing because historic files were not fully reviewed, so the court was not reminded of key facts, including a recorded history of domestic abuse and a requirement for Mr Sharif to complete a perpetrators’ programme before unsupervised contact that had not been met.
In March 2023, after a two-day absence from school, Sara returned with a large bruise on her face and a marked change in demeanour. The referral to children’s services was graded amber for a 24‑hour response, but the allocated worker did not check police intelligence or re‑contact the school; the case was closed after a false parental explanation.
In April 2023, Sara was withdrawn from school for elective home education and, according to the review, effectively disappeared from view. On 7 August 2023 a scheduled home education visit went to the family’s previous address because records had not been updated; a follow‑up was set for September. She was killed the next day.
Reviewers note that cultural assumptions inhibited scrutiny. Neighbours were reluctant to report concerns for fear of being labelled racist. At school, Sara began wearing a hijab aged eight; the review records that this later concealed facial injuries and that such a change would have been highly unusual when other family members did not wear it.
The report also points to barriers faced by Sara’s mother during private law proceedings, including language and interpretation issues that limited how her position was understood and weighed in court.
Ministers and national officials have responded. The Education Secretary said the review “rightly highlights the glaring failures and missed opportunities across all agencies,” while the Children’s Commissioner described “a catalogue of missed opportunities, poor communication and ill‑informed assumptions,” calling for reform to information sharing and accountability.
Surrey County Council has apologised and outlined changes since 2023. These include strengthened triage at the Children’s Single Point of Access, improved recording and quality assurance, additional capacity and procedures in elective home education, and refreshed guidance and training for Section 7 reports. Ofsted rated the council’s children’s services “good” in March 2025.
For practitioners, the recommendations align with Working Together 2023’s national child protection standards. The review’s proposed next steps include verifying addresses across systems before home visits, triangulating school referrals with police information at the front door, and ensuring contested professional views are explicitly set out for judges. It also proposes updating statutory guidance so that where a child known to children’s social care is withdrawn for elective home education, a formal multi‑agency meeting with parents and professionals is convened before the change. Alongside this, the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 provide a clearer framework for admissions and deletions from roll; councils and schools should be able to evidence compliance and decisions.