Coroner rejects anonymity for witnesses in Sara Sharif inquest
Three Surrey County Council staff will not be granted anonymity for the full inquest into the 10-year-old's death.
Incident → evidence → outcomeSenior coroner Richard Travers has refused anonymity requests from three council workers who are expected to give evidence at the inquest into the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. The decision was made at a pre-inquest review hearing last week.
The three Surrey County Council staff had applied for anonymity to protect them from potential harm to their health and private lives, and to prevent risks to their continued employment. Alethea Redfern, acting for the council, argued that revealing their identities could lead to them being unable to continue their work, representing a loss of valuable resources for the authority.
Open Justice Principles
In a written judgment, Mr Travers stated that he had carefully considered the evidence and legal principles. He concluded that the applications for anonymity were not justified by common law principles of fairness or by balancing the employees' rights to privacy against the media's freedom of expression and the important principle of open justice.
Sara Sharif was found dead in a bunk bed at her family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023. Her father, Urfan Sharif, 44, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, 32, were convicted of her murder in December 2024. Urfan Sharif was jailed for a minimum of 40 years, and Beinash Batool for a minimum of 33 years. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, 31, was jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
Concerns regarding Sara’s care had been raised within a week of her birth in 2013, and her parents were known to social services as early as 2010, according to reports. Mr Travers had previously ordered Surrey County Council to disclose 24,606 documents concerning Sara’s siblings.
Next Steps
The full inquest into Sara Sharif's death is now scheduled to take place in October 2027.
Questions this report answers
01Why were anonymity requests rejected for witnesses in the Sara Sharif inquest?
Senior coroner Richard Travers rejected the anonymity requests from three Surrey County Council employees because he was not satisfied that granting anonymity was justified. He cited the legal principles of fairness and the importance of open justice in his decision.
02When will the full Sara Sharif inquest take place?
The full inquest into the death of Sara Sharif is scheduled to take place in October 2027. This follows the pre-inquest review hearing where anonymity requests were considered and refused.
03Who was convicted of Sara Sharif's murder?
Sara Sharif's father, Urfan Sharif, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, were convicted of her murder in December 2024. Urfan Sharif received a minimum sentence of 40 years, and Beinash Batool a minimum of 33 years.
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