Surrey council's home check went to the wrong house days before Sara Sharif, 10, died
Sara Sharif, 10, was found dead in Woking in August 2023; her father and stepmother were jailed for life for her murder in December 2024. A local child safeguarding practice review published on 13 November 2025 found missed opportunities across children's social care, police, health and education: a school referral about bruising in March 2023 was closed within days without police checks, social workers accepted her father's explanation for her marks, and after she was withdrawn from school a home-education visit on 7 August 2023 went to an old address. The review made 15 recommendations. Surrey County Council apologised and said it would implement all recommendations; no disciplinary action was reported, and in May 2026 the council refused to release a domestic abuse report about the father, citing data protection.
glaring failures and missed opportunities across all agencies which led to Sara's death
the system failed to keep her safe
refusing to publish a domestic abuse report about Urfan Sharif
Chief executive Terence Herbert called the findings "absolutely devastating", apologised and said all recommendations will be implemented in full.
Described the case as among the most shocking in its history and pledged commitment to the findings.
No outcome recorded yet.