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Neighbours' fear of being seen as racist and called out on social media contributed to blunders that doomed tragic 10-year-old Sara Sharif, report finds
Schoolgirl Sara Sharif was tortured to death by her father after a catalogue of blunders by those scared of 'causing offence', a devastating report revealed on Thursday.
The Children's Commissioner, MPs and police experts called on the Government to overhaul child protection across the country, saying 'enough is enough' after yet another damning audit of a tragedy.
The safeguarding report found that in the run-up to the 10-year-old's murder, neighbours heard bloodcurdling screams but failed to report it as they 'feared being branded as being racist, especially on social media'.
And an occupational therapist sent to the home two years before she was killed noted that Sara, then aged eight, was the only person in the house wearing a hijab but failed to question it, 'although she has reflected that she may have been reticent to talk about it for fear of causing offence'.
It was later revealed the head covering was hiding bruises inflicted on Sara by her father and stepmother.
The review said it was 'concerning that race was a bar to reporting possible child abuse', noting that 'white fragility - or a defensiveness' is 'triggered when white individuals encounter racial stress' causing them to focus on their 'own feelings of victimisation' rather than those being harmed.
The Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership found there were at least four missed opportunities to save 'a beautiful little girl with a lovely smile and a loud laugh,' concluding 'different actions could and should have been taken and the system failed to keep her safe.'
England's Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said Sara was 'killed by those who should have loved her, but let down by every service.'
Sara Sharif was tortured to death by her father after a catalogue of blunders by those scared of 'causing offence', a devastating report revealed
She called for widespread changes in child protection, having seen the same type of cases over the last 20 years.
'Nobody acts because nobody's interested and they also don't think it's their problem,' she said.
'This little girl's life matters more, means more and must be the line in the sand for change.'
Former child protection chief Simon Bailey said: 'One of the responsibilities of the professionals is to demonstrate that professional curiosity.
'To not to be swayed, to not to be convinced by a parent or a carer, they have a responsibility to satisfy themselves that actually the child is safe.
'The fact that she was wearing that hijab at such a young age, I believe should have set alarm bells ringing. They should have been asking the questions.
'It's got to the point for me where at some point somebody's got to say 'enough is enough'.
The Muslim schoolgirl was beaten to death by her father Urfan after the risk posed by the serial domestic abuser was 'overlooked, not acted on and underestimated by almost all professionals' despite his 16-year history of attacking women and children, according to a damning safeguarding review.
In acts of brutality described by a crown court judge as the worst crime he had ever encountered, Sara suffered over 100 injuries when she was tied up and hooded in a plastic bag secured with parcel tape around her head before being battered with a cricket bat, metal pole and a rolling pin, strangled until her neck broke, burnt with an iron and bitten.
Social workers, police and teachers had all been aware of Sara's unexplained injuries since her birth, but professionals did not 'join the dots', missing crucial opportunities to intervene due to misplaced concerns about racial sensitivities.
Urfan Sharif was jailed for life for murder after the risk posed by the serial domestic abuser was 'overlooked, not acted on and underestimated by almost all professionals'
Beinash Batool, 30, the stepmother of Sara Sharif was also jailed for life for murder
Sara Sharif pictured in the hijab she started wearing to cover the bruises inflicted by her father
Following her death in August 2023, her 43-year-old father fled to his native Pakistan with his accomplice wife Beinash Batool, 30, before phoning 999 to confess to the killing, thinking he had got away with it.
But he was captured and extradited to face trial at the Old Bailey where the murderous pair were jailed for life in December.
Now the head of children's services at Surrey County Council is facing calls to appear before MPs to explain why she accepted a £8,700 pay rise after the failings of her department culminated in Sara's death.
MPs have demanded the council's children's services be put into special measure after a blistering report revealed how evidence of Sharif's 'extensive' domestic abuse was 'lost within the system', inexperienced social workers under pressure to be 'speedy' did not carry out basic checks, safeguarding processes were not followed and home visits were delayed with fatal consequences.
In the 24 hours before she was killed, social workers shockingly went to the wrong address to check on her.
'If Sara had been seen, it is likely that the abuse would have come to light', the report concluded.
'There were numerous times before Sara was born and throughout her life, that the seriousness and significance of Father as a serial perpetrator of domestic abuse was overlooked, not acted on and underestimated by almost all professionals who became involved with Sara and her family.
'The review reveals many points at which different action could, and we suggest, should, have been taken.
'It is this accumulation of many decisions and actions over time that contributed to a situation where Sara was not protected from abuse and torture at the hands of her father, stepmother and uncle.'
Despite being repeatedly accused of attacking women and children including babies, Sharif managed to hoodwink police, teachers, social services and judges who ruled that he should be granted custody of Sara after professionals recommended the 'safe and loving home'.
A 'campaign of torture' started just days after that fateful family court hearing in 2019 which continued until Sara's murder on August 8, 2023, when Sharif beat her with a metal pole as she lay dying in Batool's arms having suffered 71 'fresh injuries' and 29 fractures.
Sara Sharif suffered more than 100 injuries before she died in August 2023
Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel added: 'There needs to be accountability. This cannot happen again.
'The same recommendations have been made for 20 years.
'They now need to be put into place. I need government to be holding local authorities to account to make sure people work together for the good of children.
'We need professionals to know that they will be accountable for these children's lives.'
Woking MP Will Forster said: 'We owe it to Sara, and to every vulnerable child in Surrey and beyond, to ensure that no child is ever again murdered by those who should love and care for them.'
Terence Herbert, Chief Executive of Surrey County Council said: 'We are deeply sorry for the findings in the report related to us as a local authority.
'We have already taken robust action to address those relating to Surrey County Council, and that work will continue with every recommendation implemented in full.'
