Date set for inquest into death of Sara Sharif

Sara Sharif was found dead in her family home in Woking in 2023

An inquest into the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif will not take place until at least autumn 2026, a senior coroner has said.

At a pre-inquest review, senior Surrey coroner Richard Travers said he needed to receive documents from Surrey County Council to "really know" what he was dealing with.

Sara's father Urfan Sharif and stepmother Beinash Batool were jailed for life in December after being found guilty of her murder.

She was hooded, burned and beaten during a two-year period before her body was found at the family home in Woking in 2023.

Her uncle, Faisal Malik, who was living with the family at the time of her death, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.

'Tip of the iceberg'

Sara's mother Olga Domin said on the same day of the pre-inquest review hearing that her daughter was "the most adorable and beautiful little girl".

Ms Domin said she was determined to honour Sara's memory by "establishing why she ended up in a situation where her life was taken from her in the cruellest of ways".

Matthew Turner, Ms Domin's barrister, said Surrey County Council social services and Sara's school, St Mary's Primary School in Byfleet, may need legal representation at the inquest.

"Teachers from the school saw injuries to Sara and made a safeguarding referral or referrals. That might be the tip of the iceberg," he said.

Batool, Malik and Sharif (pictured left to right) were tried at the Old Bailey

In December, the BBC revealed that Sara was in foster care twice by the age of three.

Mr Turner said the inquest would touch upon the home schooling framework, which he said was of "national importance".

It was revealed during the criminal trial that Sara began wearing a hijab to hide her injuries in January 2023 after her school noticed bruises on her face.

She was later withdrawn from mainstream education and home-schooled.

Sara's body was found at her home in Woking on 10 August 2023

Mr Turner said Batool also sent messages to her sisters about what Sara's father was doing to her.

"The question arises – what was known by the wider Batool family and what they did about it, if anything? They could be the subject of some criticism," he said.

Senior coroner Mr Travers also ordered the disclosure of documents to the inquest from Surrey County Council.

The local authority had not yet disclosed material to the coroner that was covered by a High Court order restricting the media from reporting of the names of social workers and other professionals named in the family court proceedings.

That order was challenged at the time by the BBC and other media who wanted to be able to name the professionals.