A senior coroner has ordered Surrey County Council to disclose 24,606 documents pertinent to the inquest into the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. The directive comes after the council resisted full disclosure, arguing many documents are irrelevant to the investigation.
Sara Sharif was found dead in August 2023 at her home in Woking, Surrey, following extensive violence. Her father, Urfan Sharif, and his wife, Beinash Batool, were convicted of her murder in December 2024 and sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum terms of 40 and 33 years, respectively. The court heard Sara suffered over 100 injuries, including being tied up, having a plastic bag secured over her head, being beaten with various objects, and strangled.
Pre-Inquest Review and Document Dispute
During a pre-inquest review on Thursday, Senior Coroner Richard Travers instructed the council to release all documents related to Sara's siblings, who currently reside in Pakistan. Alethea Redfern, representing Surrey County Council, argued against full disclosure, stating that a review of the paperwork was necessary and that some documents have no connection to Sara's death. Redfern suggested that disclosing all documents would be excessive and beyond what is necessary for the inquest.
However, Coroner Travers expressed his lack of understanding regarding the council's objection. He stated that the disclosure of these pages is a court order and not a decision for the council to make. He has set a deadline of the afternoon of October 2 for the documents to be released, warning that he will require the attendance of the council's chief executive if they are not provided.
Inquest Proceedings and Past Concerns
The inquest into Sara's death, originally scheduled to begin in April 2027, has been adjourned to a later date in October to allow for proper proceedings. Travers emphasized that inquests are important hearings that must be conducted thoroughly. He also heard submissions from three individuals seeking anonymity for their evidence, with a decision to be made at a later date.
Previous safeguarding reports highlighted concerns regarding Sara's care. Neighbors reported hearing screams but did not report them, fearing accusations of racism, particularly on social media. An occupational therapist noted eight-year-old Sara was the only person in the house wearing a hijab, a detail she hesitated to question for fear of causing offense. This hijab was later revealed to be a means to conceal bruises inflicted by her father and stepmother.
A review by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership identified missed opportunities to protect Sara, concluding that "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, stated that Sara was "killed by those who should have loved her, but let down by every service."
Urfan Sharif had a history of violence, including accusations of assaulting children and women, though he was never charged. He had also been involved in domestic abuse incidents and ordered to attend a perpetrator program, but he did not complete it. Despite concerns, a child protection plan was closed in 2011 without adequate evidence of his behavioral change. Sara was placed in foster care in 2014 but later returned to her father's custody based on a flawed report, with her mother's voice being marginalized due to a lack of an interpreter.