Sara Sharif case - update - horrifying

[amIloud]

This case is just beyond the realms of horrifying,

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl461xwg3do

This poor child.

I agree. I think they will be haunted by it for a long time. Awful for her classmates as well, many of whom will have an idea of what has happened. And what her siblings may have witnessed or experienced, I really can't imagine.

there does need to be reform

It should never have been batted back to the school to keep an eye on her.

They played their part by reporting multiple times. That was their role in protecting Sara. They had no steps they could take to protect her from further harm.

Rest in peace Sara. Seeing that video of her singing 2 days before she was murdered … I can’t stop crying. So I’m trying (not very successfully) to pull myself together. I’ve written to my MP asking that parliament get involved in the various reviews. Sara was FAILED by social services who closed her case. FAILED by the judge that granted her despicable father custody of her - the same judge who had been involved previously with the family. We need to demand change. I’ve also asked my MP that there is a public education campaign so that people know when and how to report concerns.

somehow we need to turn our emotions into constructive action. In memory of Sara, who cared so much for other children.

she was so brave, such a superstar.

😭😭😭😭😭😭

I honestly think that we should reintroduce hanging for some crimes. I would happily put the noose around his neck myself.

I felt so sad reading this :(

Poor Sara was failed by everyone who should have protected her. I have a daughter of a similar age and can’t bear to read the details of what happened to her. Cases like this really test my anti-death penalty views.

The public should have a legal duty to report suspected abuse. The neighbours from the flats failed to report what they heard.

I don't understand why England doesn't have the same law we have in Wales which means it's against the law to lay a hand on a child under any circumstances. Police could have arrested and prosecuted the stepmother and father as soon as there were reports of her being beaten.
Poor, poor child.

My email to my MP

My heart just hurts for Sara Sharif and the incomprehensible abuse, pain and neglect she experienced.

Now that the trial has ended and more context is being made public, I am staggered at how the systems and organisations which were supposed to protect her failed to do so.

I realise there will be an enquiry- maybe several. "Questions will be asked". People will say that "lessons will be learnt". But this keeps happening. Children keep being abused and killed. Their cases keep being closed prematurely. This isn't a local problem - it's national.

In addition to failings of social services, I feel there also needs to be a public education campaign to help people understand the warning signs, and to encourage reporting, and clarify and improve processes.

What can Parliament do to maximise the chance that no other child suffers and dies like Sara?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgedlr7qg1o

her siblings have suffered violent abuse and neglect too

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2z077ln5lo

some insight into school

Just watching the news, god it really is horrific. It’s horrifying that we need a system able to protect children from their own parents. It’s even worse that despite all the signs, all the referrals and the known history - STILL nothing was done. I’m incredulous that the blindingly obvious was ignored. It’s not ‘with hindsight’ it was staring social workers in the face.
There have been numerous of these cases (clearly the absolute worst) and still this persists. God help the children left to the mercy of this failing, broken system.
How is society so broken that we have parents able to do this and a system unable (unwilling?) to intervene?

That is something I cannot understand about our laws either @Kaaardiffgalnow If you are reported as punching your neighbour as an adult, you would be arrested and ordered to stay away from that person. How can adults who have obviously caused an injury to a child just be subjected to a phone call from social services and then told that no action will be taken. Why aren't the rights of children taken seriously?
How did the family courts give a vulnerable child to a violent man?
Why are children who are at risk taken out of school to be abused? This should be stopped.
My heart breaks for that brave beautiful girl.

I think it's also important to note that without the fantastic work of Pakistani police these 3 would still be on the run.

That's horrific. I cannot believe that the authorities in this country can simply leave children who are obviously bieng abused with their abusers for years, and allow them to have more children.

heaven only knows how traumatised they must be - having been abused themselves, and witnessed their sister beaten to death over years. Another despicable selfish deluded act on the part of their parents to take them abroad, presumably to try and prevent losing custody of them and because they thought they could evade justice. No words.

How did he manage to withdraw her from school and then it was nit followed up. I don't mean by the school but by local authorities

Are Sara's siblings staying in Pakistan ?
Is that deemed to be ok?
Had those kids even met the family there before their parents fled?

They closed the case very shortly afterwards - I think I read somewhere it was 2 WEEKS!!!! I’ll check that though…

That will likely come out in an enquiry I would assume.

I’d expect the social workers involved in the decision to tell the school just to keep an eye on the situation will have a lot of questions to answer about what they did when the school informed them she’d been withdrawn

Thank you, it is so awful

6 days after school reported her visible injuries. They closed the case 6 days later

news.sky.com/story/questions-over-missed-opportunities-by-social-services-to-protect-sara-sharif-13266131

6 days and case closed for injuries on a child who was on their radar before she was born and who’d been in care multiple times.

It is just staggering incompetence.

interesting interview with children’s commissioner on Andrew marr LBC. at around 40 minutes into the show

Check out LBC on Global player