A social worker’s assessment overlooked risks from Sara Sharif’s father, raising concerns about child protection practices in Surrey
Woking: So, there’s this tragic story about Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old girl who was found dead last year. It turns out that a social worker didn’t see her dad as a risk, even though there were years of abuse claims against him.
Back in 2019, during a family court hearing, Sara’s dad, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmom, Beinash Batool, got custody of her. The social worker who wrote the report had only been on the job for nine months, which is pretty concerning.
This worker didn’t really analyze the dangers posed by Urfan, even though there were many allegations of violence against him. The court documents were made public after some media outlets, including The Telegraph, pushed for it.
Sadly, Sara was found dead at home, having suffered terrible abuse. Urfan and Beinash were later found guilty of her murder after a long trial. They’re set to be sentenced soon.
Interestingly, Sara’s uncle, who lived with them, was found not guilty of murder but was convicted for allowing her death. At the time of the court hearing, Sara and her sibling were already living with Urfan and Beinash after claiming they were abused by their mom.
The couple had gotten permission from Sara’s mom to take her in, and a judge approved it. There’s been a lot of talk about whether the judge’s name should be made public, but another judge blocked that request.
Dame Vera Baird, a former Victims’ Commissioner, said it’s scary that the press can’t name the judge involved. The inexperienced social worker’s report played a big role in the custody decision, which is troubling.
In the report, the social worker noted that Sara and her sibling had been physically abused by their mom. They mentioned that Sara had been pinched, punched, and even threatened with drowning.
Despite all this, the social worker concluded that the kids were safe with their dad and stepmom, saying they seemed happy and not abused. They even recommended that Sara live with them, which is just heartbreaking in hindsight.
At the hearing, a judge praised the social worker’s report, calling it thorough and well done. But now, it’s clear that the system failed Sara. She had over 71 injuries when found, including fractures and bruises, and it’s just devastating.
Surrey County Council is now looking into what went wrong with the professionals who were involved with Sara’s family. It’s a tough situation that raises a lot of questions about child protection.