Surrey council staff refused anonymity for Sara Sharif inquest

A coroner has rejected a request for anonymity made on behalf of three council workers who are expected to give evidence at the inquest into the death of Sara Sharif.

Her father and stepmother – Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool – were jailed for life in December 2024 after being found guilty of her murder.

Concerns were raised about Sara's care within a week of her birth in 2013, and her parents were known to social services as early as 2010, it has been reported.

It also found that services in Surrey failed to identify that Sara was at risk of abuse and did not question unexplained bruising.

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool (pictured) were sentenced to life imprisonment

Alethea Redfern, representing the council, said anonymity would protect the employees from "harm to their health and private and family lives".

Senior coroner Richard Travers said: "I am not satisfied, on the basis of the evidence provided, that granting anonymity is justified by reference to common law principles of fairness."

The BBC, Times Media Limited, and Guardian News & Media Limited opposed the anonymity application.

Sara Sharif loved to sing and play the guitar and dreamed of being on The X-Factor

Urfan Sharif was jailed for a minimum term of 40 years, while Batool has to serve at least 33 years in custody.

Sara died after a campaign of abuse, and a post-mortem examination found she had suffered dozens of injuries.

Sara Sharif's 'sadistic' killers jailed for murderPublished17 December 2024