DEVELOPING: Council Admits Error in Visiting Wrong House Before Tragic Murder

Breaking News: Council Admits Error in Visiting Wrong House Before Tragic Murder Surrey County Council has revealed a devastating mistake in its handling of a case that led to the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. The council's staff visited the wrong address the day before Sara's body was found at her home in Woking, Surrey, on August 10, 2023. The error has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the effectiveness of child safeguarding practices. Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, 43, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were jailed for life for her murder, which was the culmination of a two-year period of domestic abuse. A review into the handling of the case found that the council's staff failed to recognize the severity of the situation, despite Sara's father and stepmother being a "lethal combination" of domestic abuse perpetrators. The review also noted that the council's staff visited the wrong address, which could have potentially prevented the tragedy. Surrey County Council has apologized for the mistake and promised to implement every recommendation from the review. The council has taken "robust action" to address the findings and has vowed to work with other organizations to prevent similar tragedies in the future. This is a developing story, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. The council's review and the subsequent apology have raised questions about the effectiveness of child safeguarding practices and the need for greater collaboration between organizations to protect vulnerable children.