Statement from the Children's Commissioner on the murder of Sara Sharif | Children's Commissioner for England

Sara Sharif lost her life at the hands of those who were meant to care for her the most, and now they must confront the repercussions of their horrific actions.

Her passing serves as a painful reminder of the significant flaws in our child protection system, which our nation has repeatedly failed to address. We've faced similar situations in the past and have consistently vowed, "never again."

What troubles me most about Sara's death is that her father said he "legally punished his child," thinking this somehow justified murder. It's unimaginable that any parent or guardian could use our legal system to excuse such brutality. Unfortunately, children in England today have less protection from violence than adults do.

It's time for a legal update. The current justification in assault laws that allows for the "reasonable punishment" of kids should be eliminated without delay. This change should occur with the upcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill that is set to be introduced in Parliament soon.

Sara's tragic passing should prompt a swift change in our approach to safeguarding children like her. Schools, which frequently serve as critical environments for recognizing and supporting at-risk students, should be designated as the fourth official safeguarding partner alongside the police, social services, and healthcare providers. It's essential that we establish effective monitoring of children who are homeschooled, implementing the long-awaited register for those not attending school, and requiring local authorities to approve home education applications for particularly vulnerable children.

This needs to be accompanied by improved data sharing among services and the implementation of a unique identification system for each child. It's clear that Sara faced a significant failure from the support systems meant to protect her. Even before her birth, social services were aware of her situation, but somehow she became completely unnoticed. By the time of her death, she was completely off their radar.

We can't afford to have any more assessments, tactics, or arguments. When we declare 'never again,' it must be a sincere commitment – that should be Sara's lasting impact.