"There are other Sara Sharifs out there"
Sara Sharif died after a campaign of abuse and there are fears that her case is just the tip of the iceberg after a report found 485 children died or were injured in abuse cases in 2023.
Sara was murdered by her father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool at their home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023.
The pair were found guilty of her murder after the 10-year-old suffered years of abuse, including being bitten, burnt with an iron, strangled until her neck broke and battered with a cricket bat, metal pole and rolling pin.
Her uncle Faisal Malik, who lived with them, was convicted of causing or allowing her death.
A report found that nearly 500 children either died or were seriously injured in abuse and neglect cases in 2023.
This comes as authorities faced accusations of missing opportunities to save Sara’s life.
Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza said Sara was “let down” after being taken out of school for homeschooling, despite teachers and social services seeing the abuse warning signs.
Dame Rachel said it was “madness” that children at risk of abuse at home are allowed to be taken out of school, which should act as a “safeguard”.
She said: “There are other Sara Sharifs out there and there are very clear actions that need to be taken.
“I am filled with fury and I am deeply concerned and I believe the safety net that should’ve been around her.”
Dame Rachel said she is pushing for “change for these children now” through a new Children and Wellbeing Bill.
Authorities failed to identify Sara was at risk for years before her body was found in her bunk bed at the family home.
Sharif and Batool were in Pakistan when the former called police to tell them about Sara’s death.
The shocking case has raised questions about failures by police, social services and Sara’s school, who missed 15 opportunities to save the vulnerable pupil before her tragic death.
An independent safeguarding review has been ordered and it will examine the circumstances in which a family court judge decided to place Sara in the custody of her father and stepmother, which ultimately cost her life.
Over several years, Sara Sharif suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother.
They bound her arms and legs and hooded her in a plastic bag secured with parcel tape around her head while they beat her with a cricket bat, metal pole and a rolling pin.
She suffered at least 71 external injuries and 29 fractures.
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